Love You So Much These Days
by EmmaLouHoo322
Summary: The continuation of Elle and Stuart's love story.
1. Chapter 1

Hola, I am back from Steamboat Springs!

More about that later, I figured you guys would like to hear what happens to Elle and Stu.

I present Love You So Much These Days. Beware, the last part gets a little mature. Not as bad as some stories up here but it involves self-pleasure. FYI

* * *

Food. That was always the first thing on my mind. It wasn't very surprising since we had been a drift for days. Noodle had some granola bars in the many pockets of her dress but they were soggy and most of their taste had washed away with the ocean. Still we weren't complaining; food was food.

The days melted into each other and I couldn't recall what day it was or how long we had been floating in the middle of nowhere. My thoughts drifted and in my half-starved stupor I started seeing things. Sometimes I would see Stuart, floating in the water just out of my reach. Sometimes I would see a bug-looking man with a gas mask on staring at the raft which was a bit unsettling but a part of my brain knew it was just my imagination.

Wasn't it?

Noodle did her best to keep morale up but even she knew it was a hopeless case. She would put on a strong face and spout encouraging words but I could tell she didn't believe in them herself. Our situation was pretty hopeless.

"Look, I'm sure we'll figure out something." Noodle tried again. "We're not going to die. I promise."

I was lying on the floor of the raft, too exhausted to get up. My patience had been wearing thin since our supply of granola bars had run out.

"Please enlighten me Noodle, how are we going to get out of this one?" I snarled at her.

She glared at me, "Look, I know you are hungry and tired but you need to get a grip."

"Well, you've been to Hell, is it nice down there?" I said staring up into the sky. "Because I'm pretty sure that we're _not_ going to survive this. Why did I listen to Russ? Why couldn't I just get over 2D and let him get through his own problems by himself. God knows I've got enough of my own."

Noodle had gone silent. She was staring out at the ocean completely still. I continued to babble actually liking the sound of my voice. It broke the sound of the lapping of the water against the side of the raft.

"SHUT UP." She exclaimed.

I fell silent, muted by shock. She had a hand against one ear. Obviously she had heard something that I hadn't. Quietly I sat up and looked out into the ocean with her.

"What do you see?" I whispered.

She shushed me again.

That was when I saw it. It was a huge mass swimming toward us. It wasn't huge as in whale huge. It was huge as in holy crap there is a giant swimming toward us. Usually I wasn't one for fainting but with the sun beating down on me and the lack of food in my belly my vision swam.

"What the hell is that?" I murmured.

"I think—." Noodle started but the giant continued under us.

I sighed in relief thinking that it was going to continue on its merry way but then it stopped right underneath us. I felt the floor of the raft shift and suddenly we were out of the water.

"Oh Jesus Christ." I murmured.

It was a big brown dome. At first I thought maybe a mountain was growing abnormally fast but then I saw the great big milky eyes I had seen not too long ago.

"Russel?" I heard Noodle exclaim happily. "What happened to you?"

My vision blurred; the shock of Russel so…huge (or bigger than usual) plus the rumble of hunger made me weak. Noodle was busy yelling down to Russel who would respond in his familiar booming voice. They didn't even notice as I slipped into unconsciousness and into the dark water below.

* * *

The sun was bright. It was burning my eyelids but I was too exhausted to move to cover them. I shivered in the breeze; still soaking wet. I was amazed I hadn't drowned; the last thing I remembered was Russel's big head coming out of the water and then the sensation of falling. I didn't even remember Noodle scream or Russel trying to catch me. If that even happened.

Slowly I opened my eyes. I felt some kind of dirt or sand on my arm, when I reached over to brush it off I realized it was pink sand. I examined it on my fingertips. Where was there a beach with pink sand? Still a little woozy I looked around, trying to find my bearings.

There was a tall white building right in the middle of the pink island. It took up most of the space. I saw a patio with deck chairs on it and I could hear a bass guitar deep in the bowels of the building. I could see things jutting out of the beach. Most of them were plastic.

My eyes widened. I was on Plastic Beach. Standing up quickly (too quickly, my head spun and I was almost sent sprawling on my ass) I searched the horizon for the familiar brown dome that I had fallen from but I couldn't see it anywhere. It surprised me, either they had swam away when I had fallen or I had floated the entire distance from Russel to Plastic Beach.

"Well, well, well, I never thought I'd see your lovely face again, luv." I heard a slimy voice murmur to me.

I whirled around, sending my head spinning, and came face to face with Murdoc. He had aged some, his hair was streaked with grey and his face had gotten thinner. I eyed him warily, fighting to stay upright. I had gone hungry far too long.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

Murdoc scoffed. "Shouldn't I be asking you the same question? This is my island you washed up on."

I had to give him that. I looked around at the beach.

"Where are we?" I murmured.

Murdoc cackled, "Point Nemo, luv. Didn't you know that already?"

"This is Point Nemo?" I whispered, the black edges of sleep shrouding the corners of my eyes.

"Yes," Murdoc said looking a little concerned. The emotion looked strange on his face. It was probably because I had never seen it on his features before. "Are you ok, luv?"

I just managed to nod before tumbling to the beach and slipping into unconsciousness for the second time that day.

* * *

2D was thinking about her again. This time the thoughts didn't stay within the PG limit. Not only did he think about her hair as it lazily whispered in the wind or about her beautiful green eyes. No he thought about her neck when it was thrown back in the height of her passion. He thought of her back, glittering in the sunlight after a night of sex. He thought of how her breasts fit into the palms of his hands.

He would be brought painfully back to Earth when he realized that he was all alone. Then, amidst his tears, 2D would close his eyes and pretend she was there. He would wrap his fingers around the most intimate part of himself and pretend it was her. While there was no life without Elle, he had to make do with what he had.

"Ah luv, it's a pleasure having you here. Let me show you around." He heard Murdoc's voice say, muted by the thick door.

He wondered at first who was joining them on the private island but then he realized he didn't really care. It wasn't going to be _her_. Of course there was one thing Murdoc said that tickled the back part of 2D's mind.

_Luv._

That was his name for Elle. He remembered because she had told him not to call her that because of Murdoc. He scowled. He knew he should try and forget her; it wasn't like they were going to get off of the island anytime soon. Not with half the album still in progress.

"So I've shown you around, how do you like the place?" He heard Murdoc say.

There was no answer but 2D heard Murdoc laugh.

"Ah, too caught up with your biscuits, eh?" He cackled again, "Well, here is the room I bet that you will love the most. I'm considering letting you stay here."

There was a pause as Murdoc judged the visitor's reaction. He laughed again and then 2D heard the latch on his room jiggle. Quick as a flash he pulled his hands out of his pants and pulled the blanket over his lap, to hide the bulge still poking through the fabric.

His world came to a halt when he locked eyes with the mysterious visitor. Her beautiful eyes widened as she took in his bright blue hair. The air went out of his lungs and he knew if he could cry he would be at that moment. Murdoc looked triumphant at the shock in the singer's face. Both man and woman couldn't make a sound. Finally, 2D found his voice.

"Elle?"

* * *

Man, oh man, it is good to be back. I was a complete idiot and forgot to take my notebook with me so I had all these ideas bouncing around in my head and nothing to write them down on.

Anyhoo, Steamboat Springs was awesome. There was this hott pool boy that would smile this sexy half smile at me. I kept sending him these mental messages to just talk to me already but he didn't so I just let my extremely overactive imagination take over. We'll eventually end up together, he loves me. I know it.

Also, yesterday was my daddio's birthday. He is officially half a century old. So happy late birthday to him.

Three more things, two of them involving Gorillaz. 1) Our home computer has been infected with a virus (don't worry I'm on my laptop) and so now I can't get into my iTunes and update my iPod. So I've been listening to Gorillaz music on my Mp3 player. I've turned the bass up so now whenever I listen to Gorillaz the first thing I think is "That's Murdoc playing the bass." 2) Stuart and Elle turned into elderly folks and Noodle moved out and got married to this guy. In Sims3 of course. 3) I have a new obsession. It is Criminal Minds. Actually its more like Dr Reid on Criminal Minds. He's just so _fucking_ adorable. I just want to attack him.

Hey guess what?

STAYCLASSY.


	2. Chapter 2

There he was. His wide eyes were wide in surprise and his mouth was slightly open. I tried to say something, anything; but there was nothing. Everything in my mind just vanished except for one thing.

It was _him_.

He didn't move. I thought about sprinting across the room and launching myself at him but my legs were locked in place. I could see Murdoc leering at me in the corner of my eye. He was probably going to use this to his advantage in the future.

Then I remembered Riley. I remembered that 2D left me with some bullshit story about needing some time for himself and I made myself look away. I could hear Murdoc chuckle. I looked up at him with curious eyes. Why did he bring me here? Why did I decide to do this? He just smiled at me and turned to leave. I made to follow him but he held up a finger.

"Nuh uh, luv. You need to get settled. This is where you'll be staying after all." He smirked at me before shutting the door in my face.

Gradually I began to realize that I was now locked in a room with my ex-boyfriend, who I happened to still be in love with. I could feel the blood rise up my neck and into my cheeks. I heard him clear his throat and I could just imagine him playing with the hem of the blanket tossed over his legs.

"Elle," he managed to get out. So far this was all he had been able to say. "Elle, I-I can't believe it's you."

I nodded, still not turning to face him. "I never thought I'd see you again." I whispered. I wasn't entirely sure he'd heard me; we had both fallen silent and it didn't seem like he was going to answer me. Hesitantly I turned around.

He was watching me. Taking me in, I could tell he was trying to soak all of my details in so that he could remember me if we parted again. It made my heart swell and tears prick at the back of my eyes. I loved this man. I could never truly leave him, no matter how many miles were between us. I looked back down at my fingertips to get my emotions under control. He had split up with me, no matter how much I wanted to be with him he had been the one to end it and he would have to be the one to start it again.

"So…I guess we'll be roommates again." He started awkwardly. He was playing with the top of his blanket again.

"Uh…yeah, I guess so." I murmured.

We fell silent again. I looked around the room. A life-size Spiderman figure with a mask glared back at me. There was a giant multi-plug sitting in the middle of the room. There were maybe four things attached to it. I couldn't help but smile; that was definitely something 2D would do, be overly prepared for something that wasn't going to happen. I slowly made my way to his bed and quietly sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Well, do you want to watch a movie? Murdoc has this company, Glovefilm, which sends us DVDs every few weeks. It's not the usual kind of company though." He held up a cover of one of the DVDs. I had to keep myself from laughing as I read the cover. A cheery, yet M-rated, cover of 'Tits a Wonderful Life' greeted me.

"Um…"I started, calming myself down, "What other films do you have?"

He sat up, excited. Obviously when it came to movies he forgot the awkwardness of the situation.

"Well, 'I have Driller Killer', but you've seen that one. I also have 'The Brood'. Oh wait! You'll love this one!" He held up another DVD case.

"'Let the Right One In'?" I said, plucking the case from his fingers. He nodded ecstatically. "I don't think I've seen that one."

He smiled a huge smile that almost swallowed his face. I couldn't help myself, his smile was contagious; I smiled back. Gingerly, he took the DVD back from me and put it in the DVD player. He looked around as if trying to figure something out and then he sat up and scooted over so that he was almost smashed into the wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He looked at me like he was crazy. "I'm making room for you, silly. The best place to watch the movie is right here and I was taking up all the space."

I stared at him for a moment, completely awestruck. The fact that he had left me or the fact that we hadn't seen each other in years didn't even register to him. Before I could stop myself I was clutching my sides laughing. He looked at me like I had gone crazy. Maybe I had; I wasn't entirely sure anymore.

"Watchu laughing about?" He asked, scratching the top of his head.

I wiped a few tears off of my cheeks. Making myself sober up I looked up at him.

"It's just," I started, not really knowing how to explain myself, "It's just, we've been—apart—for five years and this is the first time we've seen each other in all that time and you want to watch a movie like the old times. It's hard to register."

He tipped his head to the side in a questioning manner.

"Why is that hard to register?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I figured we'd have to talk or something."

"Well, do you want to talk about what happened?" He whispered.

All of the previous humor in the situation we were in disappeared. It was now my turn to play with the edges of his blanket.

"'D, I've spent the past five years trying to forget about it." I murmured. A thought struck me. Before I could think about what I was saying I blurted out, "Noodle's back."

2D looked at me like I was crazy. "Watchu talking about? We saw the island go down, we saw it explode." His voice cracked at the last word, he cleared his throat and began again. "There was no way she could have survived that."

I reached over and grabbed his hand, which surprised me almost as much as it surprised him, "'D, I've seen her, talked to her. She's back. She said she was stuck in Hell or something and that Murdoc saved her."

2D scoffed, it was a sound that I had never heard come from him. "Murdoc doing something nice? Yeah right, I'll believe it when I see it." He spat looking away from me, "If he's such a nice person as to rescue Noodle from Hell then why did he kidnap me and imprison me here in my own personal Hell? Did you not notice that there was a bloody _whale_ outside, staring at me?"

I looked out of the small porthole that was his window. Sure enough there was a whale leisurely swimming by. His eye narrowed at me and I heard him make a '_harumph' _kind of noise. I raised an eyebrow.

"You think that a whale is staring at you?" I asked, incredulously.

2D nodded. "Murdoc paid him to watch me so if I try to leg it he'll come after me."

"2D, you do know how crazy your story sounds, right?" I said, patting his hand awkwardly. Apparently I hadn't thought about letting go of it.

2D's eyes narrowed. "I'm not crazy. I know that my fear of whales is strange or whatever you want to call it but that whale has been outside of my window ever since Murdoc dumped me on this bloody island! I don't want to be here. I want to go home. I want-." He stopped and looked up at me.

The despair in his face was enough to break my heart. I abandoned all the memories of him leaving me, at least for a moment, and I drew him into a hug. He sobbed dryly on my shoulder for a moment and then he fell silent. His forehead was resting on my shoulder and I had this feeling that he was smelling me. Normally that would creep me out but then the scent of cigarettes and incense hit my nose and I took a deep breath. God, I remembered that smell. It was the smell of old times; of better times.

Finally we pulled away. It was hard to keep eye contact. Especially when I was, once again, fighting tears. 2D cleared his throat again and picked up a pillow and the blanket still thrown over his lap. Pulling away from me he took them to the floor and lay down.

"Get some sleep." He murmured, making himself comfortable on the ground.

I thought about offering some space in his bed but the thought of him that close to me with the things between us that we hadn't mentioned was just too much. I nodded, even though he couldn't see me, and curled up into a ball and quietly cried myself to sleep.

* * *

God, I'm fucking _tired_.

This chapter was hard. Since I'm focusing more on Criminal Minds and Dr. Spencer Reid's sexiness my Gorillaz creativity is kind of running dry. But don't worry your pretty little heads, once I started this chapter I started to get into it and now I'm feeling a little bit better about it.

So I went to see The Last Airbender with mis padres. It was ok. It wasn't as good as the show but they had to take a lot of stuff out for time's sake you know? So I understand that point but they got Sokka and Aangs freaking names wrong. It's SOCK-a not SOAK-a and its AANG not AUNG. Seriously, you'd think that Mr. M. Night Shamalama-ding-dong would watch the show he signed up to make a live-action movie about. Jesus.

Okie doke. Now its time for me to go to sleep and dream sweet dreams about Dr. Spencer Reid.

And now I've realized how much of a phsyco I'm turning into. I should get some help or something. Oh well.

Stay classy folks, it's all good now because we've let the taps running for a hundred years. (Must be Aang's fault oh ho! I made a funny.)


	3. Chapter 3

He could feel her presence even as the room shifted into darkness. As the night took away his vision his hearing sharpened. He could hear her breathing; it was the sweetest sound that he had ever heard. Well, not exactly the sweetest sound, the sweetest sound was something he didn't want to think about considering he didn't want to get a hard on with _her _sleeping just three feet away. It hitched a few times and he could tell that she was crying but trying to hide it from him. Gradually the sounds of her sobs died down and then eventually it fell into deep breaths of slumber.

She shifted in the bed and let out a gust of air. One of her hands dangled off of the bed and he had to fight the urge to reach out and grab it. He knew that he had to take this slow. He could tell that she didn't know how to act around him anymore. It was all his fault. He groaned anxiously and covered his face with his hands. God, how had he been so stupid as to leave her?

He heard her shift again and then he saw her head poke out from the top of the bed. She had never been a light sleeper when they were together but perhaps she had changed over the years they had been apart.

"You ok?" she whispered.

He stared at her a moment, admiring her in the moon lit water light. She looked so beautiful. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before he could even realize he was doing it. She flinched away from his hand but he saw her smile slightly to herself afterwards.

"Uh…yeah, I'm fine." He murmured back.

She nodded and made to fall back onto the bed.

"I missed you." He whispered to her before he could stop himself.

She froze. The silence pressed in on him and he wished, for once in the entire time he had been on this damn island, that the whale would go ahead and eat him up.

"I missed you too." She whispered back so quietly that he could barely hear. "But you broke my heart and I don't know where we stand anymore."

He heard her gasp. He knew almost immediately that she was sobbing. At that moment he hated himself so much he willed himself to stop breathing then and there. He sat up and fluttered his hands awkwardly around here. What was he supposed to do? He was pretty sure that he was the last person she would want comforting her.

"Elle," he whispered, secretly loving the way her name felt on his tongue. "Elle, I'm so sorry."

He could feel his throat closing as his emotions took over. He sobbed her name over and over. For a few minutes they cried together, just a few feet away from each other. Then suddenly he felt her hands on the tops of his arms and her head on his shoulder. He felt the wet warmth of her tears on the skin of his neck as he closed his arms around her, locking her in his embrace.

"I'm so sorry." He chanted, rocking her back and forth. "I'm so sorry."

He felt her straining against his arms and he let her lean back to look into his eyes. She looked sheepish and he wondered if she was embarrassed that she had fallen into his arms so quickly. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes.

"I'm seeing someone." She whispered and his heart dropped. "Well, at least I was."

"You're what?" He said.

She fiddled with her fingers and started edging away from him. "I met someone in Australia and we went out a few times. His name is Riley."

He ran a hand through his hair. He took in her form; she was kneeling in between his legs anxiously playing with her fingers.

"You met someone else?" He whispered still not believing her.

She nodded and then looked up at him. "You left and I needed to get over you."

"Get over me?" He repeated back to her. "Why would you want to get over me?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "You left me. I waited for you and you never came. So I found someone to take your place."

He reached out to put a hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and he saw a tear slide down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb and she pulled away.

"'D, what we had was great but things are different now." She whispered. "I think that what we have has come and gone."

"What? No!" He exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch. "No, no, no, Elle! I love you. I love you so much. I can't live without you. I shouldn't have left you. It was one of the worst decisions I have ever made in my entire life and I realize that now. We can try again and I promise I won't leave you."

Elle's eyes welled up with tears. He knew, if he still had tear ducts, his would already be rolling down his face. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She shook her head and climbed back into the bed.

"I can't 2D. I just can't." He heard her whisper before he watched her bury her face in the pillow that was once his and let out a muffled sob.

He stared up at the ceiling forcing himself to stay on the floor and not try to make her love him. It was his fault she wasn't his anymore and this was going to be his punishment. Like one of the circles of Hell, he had broken her heart so now she was going to be mere feet away from him and he wouldn't be able to have her. He covered his face with his hands again and took a deep cleansing breath.

He was still in love with her. He was pretty sure that his entire _existence_ depended on her. She was his light, his life, his everything.

He rolled over and closed his eyes trying to block out the image of kissing her after she read the song he had written about her or the image of her curled up around him, her head resting on his chest, after a night of exhausting yet satisfying love making. He tried to block out everything but he could still feel the hole of loneliness biting through his stomach, even though he knew she was just three feet away.

* * *

"Stuart." He heard a whisper. It was right in his ear and even before he opened his eyes he knew who it was. _Elle_.

He gasped. There she was, standing in front of him completely exposed. He rose to his feet quickly and pulled her to him, lavishing her with kisses which she eagerly returned. His heart swelled in his chest. She wanted him, she still loved him. God, she was right there in front of him baring everything she was to him. He ran a hand down her body and back up. It was beautiful, every piece of bone, muscle, nerves, and skin that made up Elle Mede's body.

"God, I love you so much." He choked out in between kisses.

"I know." She whispered back, red tears running down her face.

_Wait, red tears?_

2D pulled back and wiped a tear off of her face. It smeared across her cheek. Red like blood. He looked down at his fingers. They too were smeared with blood.

"Elle?" He asked, completely confused.

She didn't answer him, just crying those blood tears.

"I'm dead without you." She whispered.

"What? You've got me, I'm right here!" He exclaimed as he took in the open wound opening above her left breast, right where her heart would be. "I'm always here. I've always loved you! You can't be dead because I'm right here! Stop bleeding!"

He was panicking now. The blood just kept coming. Drenching him in her life essence, it mixed into his hair turning it a dull purple. He put a hand over the wound and tried to keep her alive.

She collapsed against his chest. Shaking he pulled her close to him, knowing it was only a matter of minutes before her soul left her body, left him.

"You're dead without me." She murmured into his ear.

Then he felt the sharp prick of pain in his left shoulder. He held her away from him to look down at his own opening wound. He looked up at Elle confused, why was she doing this to him? She smiled a bloody smile at him.

"But dead, we'll always be together." She whispered before her eyes rolled back into her head and she gave one last shuttering breath.

"Elle." He murmured through tears. They were leaking out of his empty eyeholes and dripped down onto her blood soaked chest, red tears mixing with red blood.

He knew he was going to die, he had just watched her go through the same ordeal. But he didn't have anyone to utter his last words to. Just the shell of the woman he loved. He lay down beside her and buried his face into her hair. It was sticky with both of their blood but he didn't care. He was already drenched. He took a shaky breath and inhaled the scent of her hair.

"I love you." He whispered as the darkness overcame him.

* * *

2D sat up and screamed. His hands patted down his chest, looking for any gaping wounds. They wound themselves into his hair, searching for any matted blood but there was none. It was just a dream. Just a stupid dream. It didn't mean anything.

Elle was by his side immediately.

"What's wrong?" She asked frantically, her hands fluttering around him.

He looked up at her, his eyes wide. She was staring back at him, worried, _alive_. He grabbed her face between his hands and dragged her lips onto his. He kissed her with all he had, spilling the feelings that he couldn't get out with words into that one kiss. She tried to pull away but he held her fast, loving the way her lips moved against his, even when she wasn't kissing back. He poured his heart and soul into her. And then just as soon as it had happened, it ended. She pulled loose and stared at him. They looked at each other for one long moment before she looked away.

"I-I had a nightmare." He whispered. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked hesitantly.

He lay back down, turning away from her. "No, not really."

She didn't say anything and in a few minutes he heard the creak of bed springs as she crawled back into the bed. They both lay awake for hours until he finally heard her breathing deepen, leaving him alone to his thoughts.

The dream was just a dream. It was the stress of being imprisoned on this island plus the fact that Elle was here but not with him. But the words she had whispered before she died still echoed in his mind.

_But dead, we'll always be together._

Oooh, spooky.

Is it bad that I'm completely and utterly in love with this chapter? Does that make me shallow? Eh, fuck it. This chapter is the bomb. I personally think its my best chapter. But that's just me. I don't usually brag about my accomplishments.

So the dream...yeah, I don't really know where I'm going to take that...maybe I should have thought that through. Oh well. The inspiration will hit me soon. Like maybe right about now. Hmmm...ideas you are wonderful.

mmm, Dr. Spencer Reid, you sexy beast.

Anyhoo, goodnight good people of fanfiction. Please stay classy and be sure to tip your waiter.


	4. Chapter 4

The light reflecting off of the water was shining through my eyelids. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep. It was one of the essential things that I had been missing for the past few days. But that didn't stop my brain from becoming a completely jumbled mess. As usual the first thought that rose to the front of my mind was 2D.

He had woken up screaming, clutching at his chest. Abandoning all thoughts about how they would never be the same couple again she had been by his side in a flash; making sure he was ok. He had stared at her before kissing her with a passion she felt down to her toes. Before she could even register what was going down or how she felt about his lips on her he had pulled away and told her it was nothing but a nightmare. She had had a few nightmares in the past and none of them were like the 'nightmare' he had had.

I quietly rolled over and peeked down at him. He was curled up in my direction, one hand reached out toward me, one tucked up against his heart. He was frowning in his sleep but otherwise he looked like the man I had been friends with for years. I forced myself to stop thinking as I quietly climbed out of the bed and sat down next to him. I ran my fingertips through his blue hair as an experiment. If he woke up I would just make up some excuse involving a spider or something in his hair and if things got really drastic I would just tell him the whale was watching him. I hoped it wouldn't come to that. I didn't want to purposely freak him out.

He sighed in his sleep and rolled onto his back. I froze, holding my breath, just waiting for those empty eyes to snap open and look at me; but they remained shut. I ran my fingertips down his face and traced his lips. My heart ached, I wanted him so badly. I shut down my brain, which was trying to talk me out of the decision that I had made. Before I could stop myself I curled up around him, resting my head on his chest. I could hear his heart beat which made me smile. I wrapped an arm around his skinny waist and closed my eyes.

Squeezing my eyes shut I felt a few tears slide down my cheeks and onto his shirt. He sighed again in his sleep and his arm tightened around me. I tried to muffle my sobs, wanting to keep 2D asleep and unaware, but I still felt like they echoed around the room. I gave him a tiny squeeze, hugging him to me tight, and then I crawled back into the bed and willed myself asleep.

* * *

He was awake the moment she sat next to him on the floor. He was super aware to her presence, especially with her so close to him. He felt her fingers in his hair and he resisted the urge to pull her to him and kiss her until she couldn't feel anything anymore.

Then she curled up against him and began to cry and his heart just broke. He wondered how she would react if he 'woke up' and asked her what was wrong but she'd probably just do to him what he'd done to her just hours earlier. She would get back into bed and say nothing was wrong before turning her back on him and leaving him worried.

She only stayed pressed against his body for a moment and then she pulled away, leaving him cold. He never realized how nice it was to have a warm body next to him until she was gone. God, why did he ever think that leaving was a good idea? He was such an idiot. He made a mental note to bash his head in when he got the time.

* * *

The next time I woke up Murdoc was screaming at someone. I couldn't entirely tell who but something told me it was probably 2D.

"Come on Face-ache, we need to get the rest of this album finished. New album equals more money. Can you get it through your thick head?" He snarled.

I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"Hey, leave him alone, Murdoc." I murmured.

Murdoc glared at me. "What was that, luv? Are you telling me what to do?"

Quick as a flash he leapt over the still waking 2D and grabbed my shirt collar, forcing me to look into his eyes. Panic coursed through my veins. Murdoc had really lost it; but why? He had always been sort of crazy but it was mostly because he was so smashed that he couldn't make a complete sentence.

"What happened to you?" I whispered to him, my heart racing. "Why are you acting this way?"

Murdoc glared into my eyes for a moment longer and then dumped me back in the bed without a word. He walked back over 2D, purposefully kicking him in the stomach on the way out.

"Come on Dullard, we've got a record to make." He called.

I looked down at 2D who was curled up in a ball, his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Are you ok?" I asked, crawling down to sit next to him.

He nodded and eventually the grip on his stomach lessened and he shakily stood up.

"I'll be fine." He answered shortly before turning to leave.

"2D wait." I called. He paused and turned back to look at me. "Whenever you get back from recording I think we should talk. Maybe we could iron some things out."

He smiled at the prospect of starting over and nodded. Murdoc rounded the corner with a tin cup full of probably either alcohol or coffee and a pair of cherry pop tarts.

"Here you go, luv." He said, presenting me with the trey of food. I hesitated for a moment, long enough for him to get impatient. "Luv, if you don't take the food soon, I'm going to drop it."

I snatched the food from him and ripped open the packet of pop tarts. Starving once more, I devoured one pop tart before realizing that 2D was watching the other one with a ravenous look in his eye. Causiously I offered it to him; he stared at me surprised for a moment before slowly taking the pop tart from my fingers.

"Thanks." He murmured before placing it in his mouth and sprinting out the door.

* * *

I was alone in the room for maybe 20 minutes before someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was Murdoc or 2D I was surprised to come face to face with Noodle. But that couldn't be possible; she was with Russel, unless Russel was here too?

"Noodle? What are you doing here?" I asked incredulously, "Is Russel here?"

She didn't answer me; she just kept staring. Then I heard a click of a gun sliding off of safety and I focused on the big machine gun resting in her arms. It wasn't at all like the gun she had when we jumped off of the ship and even if it was the same gun, Noodle had abandoned hers during the few days we had floated in the endless sea.

"W-who are you?" I sputtered, stumbling back into the room. She followed me in, the gun pointed at my heart.

"Murdoc sent me." She said, sounding robotic. "He wants to make sure that you stay in your room."

* * *

So I ride the waves of creativity since my obsession has turned towards Dr. Spencer Reid, don't worry I won't abandon you guys because I'm still in love with 2D and the rest of Gorillaz. I still have some ideas.

So I have no idea what to say now. Blah Blah Blah Blah.

Blah Blah Blah Stay Classy Blah Blah Blah


	5. Chapter 5

2D sang his heart and soul out. He wasn't doing it for Murdoc. He wasn't even doing it for himself. He was doing it for Elle. His twisted mind had made the assumption that if he did an amazing job on the record Elle would come back to him. Murdoc leered at him with a satisfied smile on his lips.

"Very good Face-ache." He said with his sick smile. "It's almost like you're trying today. Is this all about Elle?"

2D stared at him with empty eyes. He wished he couldn't feel anything but his heart ached. He stared at his feet and fiddled with his fingers.

"Let's just keep recording." He whispered before turning back to the microphone.

Murdoc opened his mouth to say something smug about how pathetic he was but he froze. He brushed past 2D and peered out the window. He was unusually silent; usually when there was something outside Murdoc just made a snide comment and then turned back to his music. This time he stared out the window for minutes rather than moments.

"What the bloody hell is that?" He cried.

2D rushed over to the window to try and catch a glimpse of what the bassist was looking at. All he saw was a big brown dome in the distance. He looked over at Murdoc to ask him what he was so freaked out about but then it dawned on him; _they were in the middle of nowhere. _There was no other landmass close enough to the island to be seen.

"What do you think it is?" he whispered to the shocked Satanist.

Murdoc looked at 2D for a moment, his face clear of any emotion except shock. It looked strange on his face. He shrugged his shoulders up and down.

"I don't know Stu and that worries me." He shoved himself away from the window and stalked out of the room, "We're done for today. Go back to your room."

It was weird not being insulted by Murdoc. It confused 2D and disoriented him. Being insulted had become one of the regular parts of his day. It took him an extra ten minutes to get back to the room he had been living in and when he finally found his room it took him a few seconds to remember why his ex-girlfriend was sitting on his bed.

"Stuart!" Elle exclaimed rushing to his arms.

His heart was pounding in his chest. Why was she so close to him? Didn't she know what she did to him?

"Stu, have you seen that monstrosity Murdoc created?" She exclaimed, looking up into his eyes. Obviously she hadn't realized how close their faces were. All she cared about was the Android that tried to pass for the lost guitarist.

"Huh?" He stumbled, "You mean Android Noodle?"

She pulled away, "What do you mean, Android Noodle?" She murmured.

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled awkwardly down at her. His hand tightened around her waist and he resisted the urge to pull her closer to him. She narrowed her eyes at him and for a moment he panicked, thinking that she could sense his intentions. He cleared his throat and reluctantly let go of her waist.

"Murdoc found some samples of Noodle's DNA in the rubble of the windmill. He used that, plus some robotics, and made an Android." He shrugged. "She plays guitar almost as Noodle did."

"Does." Elle blurted out.

He blinked at her and her cheeks flushed.

"You keep talking about Noodle in past tense. I told you she survived. She's out there. She's out there with Russel. Who by the way is huge now." She insisted, her fingers tightening around his shirt.

His hands went to hers, curling around her fingers. He gently pried her fingers off his shirt and held them in his hands. God, how he missed those hands. Suddenly a thought struck him.

"She's with Russel?" He murmured. "So Russel's out there?"

She looked at him curiously. "Um…yeah. They're on their way. I was supposed to be with them but-."

"Murdoc saw a big brown shape in the horizon today." He said, cutting her off.

"What? That's definitely Russel! They're on their way!" She grinned up at him before throwing her arms around his shoulders and squeezing. Despite the fact that he could barely breathe 2D couldn't be happier.

* * *

What was that thing? Was it going to be a threat? Did it need to be disposed of?

Murdoc was sitting on the patio, a shotgun in his arms. He was scanning the horizon, looking for the brown dome he had seen hours earlier. Unfortunately, in the minutes that he had left to arm up, it had disappeared and now he was left scanning an empty skyline.

"Damn drummer." He muttered to himself.

He knew Russel was going to find a way to the island. He just wasn't sure how; but when he had seen that large brown dome in the distance he knew right away it wasn't any island. That shape was just too familiar.

Murdoc scanned the horizon one more time before leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. He thought about 2D, who was in his room probably shagging with Elle by now. As cheesy and cliché as it sounds he knew they were destined to be together and it hurt. He didn't want to think about the pain but a part of him knew what it was anyways. It was the pain of rejection, something he thought he had gotten used to, but this particular loss was different.

He opened his eyes and checked for Russel once more before leaning back and staring up into the sky. He wondered what was so different about Elle compared to all the other women he had (and hadn't) been with. Elle was definitely not the first person to reject him but he the fact that her choosing that face-ache lead singer over him just hurt right down to his soul.

Murdoc wished he knew what he could get to feel better. He had plenty of booze, in fact he got shit-faced every night since the last day he saw Elle's face. He hadn't had the company of a woman in awhile. Maybe that's what he needed; a willing woman. But where was he supposed to get one? It wasn't like they had a vending machine full of women, or a shipment of women arriving every few days. Out here Murdoc was completely and utterly alone. You know, except for the lump that called itself the sad excuse for a lead singer.

When this whole band thing had started, all he wanted was to be known world-wide. And now he was, but he was more alone now then he was before he was an unknown. He had hoped that that fame would not only get him money to buy alcohol but also someone who was just as greedy and ruthless as him. Instead he had locked himself on this island with no one except an Android that looked like the best guitarist in the world and the one person he hated the most. Well, except for that dodger who stole his Winnebago.

Murdoc heard a splash and he was instantly on his feet. Frantically searching the horizon he locked his gun into place, his finger hesitating on the trigger. Finally he saw who was making the noise. It was just the Android practicing its shooting on the unsuspecting fish. Taking a calming breath Murdoc internally shook himself. He shouldn't be thinking those thoughts. Elle was no one, just a girl he had stepped on to get to the top of the charts. He didn't care about being lonely; he just cared about the fame.

He closed his eyes and made himself believe in it. He had to, otherwise he'd lose his mind.

* * *

Heyyyyy, long time no see. I figured I'd post up and let you guys know that I'll be visiting my _other_ grandparents in New York starting tomorrow and going to like Saturday or Sunday or something.

I'm actually really getting into this. I feel like I'm getting better writing-wise but that might just be me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and the others to come. :)

Oh and by the way, although I don't think this will be much of an issue. Since I've pretty much covered all of the stuff in the videos and interviews and such now I'm just completely coming up with this on my own so when something new comes out and it doesn't exactly match, or even match at all then don't get annoyed or angry or just unreasonable. Please know that I'm just only beginning at reading the future, so things are a little hazy. ;)

Hey, so since its been awhile, stay extra classy.


	6. Chapter 6

When night fell, a hunger in 2D's soul grew. He could just see the silhouette of Elle tossing and turning in his bed. He had played this scene over and over again in his head but that didn't keep the nerves away. He cleared his throat.

"E-Elle?" he whispered.

For a moment he thought maybe she was asleep or hadn't heard him but then there was a quiet rustle of sheets and her blonde head peeked over the edge of the bed.

"Yeah Stu?" she murmured back.

He paused and for a moment he nearly lost his courage. "I want to talk."

She sighed, "'D, now really isn't the time." She replied, already retreating back to her pillow.

"I'm sorry." He blurted, feeling the twist of nerves in his stomach.

Elle's face reappeared at the edge of the bed. She stared at him for a moment and they shared a silent moment. Finally she pulled herself out of bed and sat down in front of him.

"What?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry." He repeated. "I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm so so sorry."

Elle fiddled with a string on her shirt. He heard her sniffle and he tried to block out the sound.

"I wish I could go back and change everything but I can't and now you're stuck here on this island with Murdoc and me." 2D choked out, his throat closing with tears.

Elle rubbed a finger over her cheekbones and pulled at the string some more. She looked up at 2D, her blue eyes staring into his empty ones. The tears in her eyes shone brightly but they looked out of place with the serious look on her face.

"Do you know why I came to this island?" She whispered. It was a whisper of secrecy as if she spoke any louder the secret would be out and useless. "Do you?"

"Your ship sank." 2D said matter-of-factly.

Elle smiled and swiped at the tears clinging to her lashes. "No. I came to this island so I could rescue you."

2D's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "You wanted to rescue me?"

Elle snorted in laughter and went back to fiddling with the string on her shirt.

"I almost didn't come but then Russel reminded me of how much I loved you and how much I still love you. God 2D, you broke my heart but when it healed it was still devoted to you." Elle let out a loud laugh that sounded almost maniacal. "2D, I never stopped loving you."

2D stared at her. He ran through their entire relationship, from start to finish, in his mind and still couldn't figure out how, out of all the shit that had happened, Elle could still love him. He stared at Elle and took in every single detail about her. He took in the strands of blonde hair that fell in front of her blushing cheeks, the way she was biting her lip. She still loved him. There was still a chance.

Slowly he leaned forward, tilting her head up before capturing her lips with his. And just like that their passion was unleashed. Her hands were in his hair, his were around her waist tugging at her shirt. They were both drowning in each other. 2D was pretty positive that heaven felt and tasted something like what he was right now. He loved the delicious noises coming from the back of Elle's throats. His lips trailed down her lips to the base of her throat where he claimed her as his own. She threw back her head and breathed out his name. He never loved his name more than when she was whispering it to him like that.

Somehow they managed to make it back up onto the bed and somehow they managed to get their clothes off before joining together in a rush shouted words and soothing sighs.

* * *

There was a thrumming underneath my ear. For a moment I thought it was the engine just above 2D's room but then I felt the bed beneath me sigh happily. Groggily I looked up to see why exactly the mattress was breathing. My heart tightened when I saw the familiar blue hair falling over the closed black eyes. My breath caught in my throat when I saw his lips twisted up into a love-sick smile. I could feel a smile similar to his crawl onto my lips as well.

2D sighed and rolled over, pulling me into his chest. I heard him sigh my name and I closed my eyes, soaking in the sound of my name on his lips. I tucked my face into his collarbone and inhaled the scent I would always remember. Smoke and incense. It was a delicious scent that sent my mind reeling. I pressed a kiss to the hollow of his collarbone and I felt his arms tighten around me. I shifted so we were face to face and his eyes flickered open.

He stared into my eyes with a confused look on his face.

"Wait," he whispered, "it wasn't just a dream?"

I chuckled and combed my fingers through his hairs. His eyes closed for a moment, an ecstatic smile on his lips.

"It felt like it didn't it?" I whispered.

He let a burst of air out his lips and then ran his own hand through his hair before rolling onto his back, taking me with him. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment, a look of complete bliss on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" I murmured.

He smiled at me and pressed a kiss from my forehead before stealing one from my lips.

"You. As usual." He whispered.

I snuggled into his chest and sent a wish into the heavens. I wished that right there and then would never end. I wished that I could stay wrapped up in his arms forever.

2D placed another kiss on my temple and whispered to me. "I love you."

"I love you too." I whispered back, placing a kiss on the base of his neck.

For a moment we basked in the glow of the morning and then we heard the familiar calls of our least favorite bassist. Terrified we raced for our clothes, pulling them on at random.

"Face-ache!" We heard him yell. "We're finishing the album today. Get your arse out of bed!"

When he tore open the door he was greeted with the sight of 2D, still pants-less and me, frantically trying to pull my shirt on. I saw a hunger glow in his eyes as he looked me over before he shook his head, clearing his mind, and grabbed 2D's arm. 2D, who was just pulling on his pants, stumbled and fell. Murdoc sneered at him but didn't say anything. He looked up at me and for a moment it was just me and the bassist from Hell.

"Looks like we'll be needing a room change." He murmured. "You'll be rooming with me from now on."

* * *

Well it sure has been awhile. Sorry about that. I got back from Syracuse and then had to hop a plane to Mississippi. My great aunt Joy passed away and we went to her funeral. I didn't really know her but I've heard she was a very kind woman who went from suffering to a place of peace. And not only did we get to put her to rest but I also got to see a majority of my family. It's kind of the silver lining to the cloud of death.

I had this idea in my head though for awhile. I don't know though, does it seem like Elle changes her mind about not knowing where they stand anymore pretty quickly? Eh, whatever. With the whole new roommate story line plotting out I think there will be some pretty interesting scenes. And maybe we'll get another glimpse inside of Murdoc's twisted mind.

I love love love you all and I'm soooo sorry that I haven't published lately. And I'm soooo sorry that I probably won't publish for awhile after. I'll try to post again this week but I hop _another_ plane to Indiana for a journalism workshop and then another one at my school and then I have orientation for this club that I'm doing that helps new kids and sophomores and then school starts and I will be swamped in advanced and AP class homework. But don't worry. I won't abandon you.

Stay Classy.


	7. Chapter 7

The move from 2D's basement room to Murdoc's spacious room over-looking the entire island was just like I thought it would be like. Murdoc made sexual innuendos every chance he got. He asked me if I liked 2D's 'whale' which, if he hadn't smirked and flicked his disgustingly long forked tongue at me, I would have just thought he was commenting on the whale that swam past the porthole just above 2D's bed. He also liked telling me that there wasn't another bed in his room and he wasn't giving up his own.

"You'll either have to sleep on the floor or in the bed with me." He whispered in my ear, his tongue brushing against my earlobe. "I must remind you that the floor is hard and cold while the bed with me is only hard."

I shuddered and stepped away from him. Murdoc threw back his head and let out a belly shaking laugh. I felt nausea pass over me at the thought of waking up with his distorted smile and green and yellow teeth directed at me. I looked over the bassist's shoulder to briefly lock eyes with 2D. As soon as my blue eyes met his black holes he looked at the floor. It looked like he was trying to get to know it, seeing as the floor was going to be the only company he was going to have after I moved out. That and the Spiderman mannequin.

Murdoc followed my gaze and let out another loud laugh.

"Don't even think about it luv." He sneered. "You're my roommate now."

The image of some old, terribly made horror movie flashed through my brain and I had to fight back the urge to laugh. A part of me wondered if I was going crazy. This was no time to be laughing. In fact, being on this island should just kill all thought of laughing.

"Go back to your room, Face-ache." I heard Murdoc call to 2D. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and then I felt his cheek on the top of my head. I ripped away from him, trying to distance myself as far as I could from his hands, his body, and his tongue. Everything about him had repulsed me before Plastic Beach but now it was twice as bad.

"Don't touch me." I snarled at him.

He blinked at me, a look of utter shock plastered on his face. I stared at him for a moment, taking in the foreign emotion. He shook his head clearing his face of all emotion except rage.

"You can't tell me what to do luvvie." He spat. He wrapped his long green fingers tightly around my wrist and pulled me roughly to the lift. I struggled, wishing I could go back to 2D. I tried not to cry, Murdoc would only get pleasure from my pain. That's he had been since we'd met. He laughed at 2D's pain when he lost is first eye. He didn't care when he lost his second. The onetime Murdoc had ever been there for me was when I had gotten so drunk I could hardly stand. I had a feeling that Murdoc was long gone. Five long years of loneliness did that to a person.

"You're hurting me!" I gasped as his long nails scratched across my wrist, leaving angry half-moon imprints in my skin. "Let go of me!"

Murdoc roughly pulled me to him and wrapped me in an embrace.

"I told you luv, you can't tell me what to do." He whispered to me in an eerily calm voice. My heart sped. Was he going to take me up to his room and _rape_ me? That couldn't happen. Murdoc wasn't that guy. He was disgusting and smelly but he wasn't a rapist. The only illegal thing he did involved tourism in Mexico, right?

Our eyes locked for a moment and I saw Murdoc's lips curl up into a triumphant smile.

"So you're finally afraid of me then?" He chuckled. His grip on my wrist loosened but he didn't let me go. "Bout fuckin' time."

He tossed me into the lift and pressed the fourth button from the top before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. I quietly sunk to the floor and fought back the tears of losing 2D again. When I looked up at Murdoc again, he was staring directly at me.

"You can't possibly be missing that tosser?" He asked incredulously. "Luv, he's a handful of floors below us. You managed to live for five years apart from him. I think you can handle this move."

I glared up at him. "Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific, luvvie. Why am I splitting you two up or why did I kidnap your boyfriend?" He replied sneering down at me.

I hadn't thought about that. I looked down at my knees and then back up at the waiting bassist. "Both I suppose."

Murdoc sighed and leaned his head back against the graffiti-ed wall. "I split you two up because honestly who likes displays of affection? And I kidnapped your boyfriend because I needed another platinum album and I couldn't get one of those without that Face-ache Spew."

I glared up at him. "You're a liar." I spat.

Murdoc's eyebrows soared into his receding hairline. "Oh, I am, am I?"

Just then the elevator dinged and the door slid open. Murdoc wasted no time in pulling me up roughly and tossing me out of the confined space.

"What makes you think I'm a liar?" He snarled in my ear.

"I can believe that you kidnapped _Stuart_ because you wanted another hit album but there is no way that you split me and him up because 'no one likes displays of affection'. There's something else you're not saying."

Murdoc's nose wrinkled like he smelled something particularly disgusting and I half wondered if maybe he had just caught a sniff of himself.

"So what if there is, it's none of your business is it?" He spat at me.

"Sorry if I hit a nerve." I snarled sarcastically at him, throwing my arms into the air like he was arresting me for some crime. "I just want to know why you decided to split me and 2D up again."

Murdoc stared at me for a moment. Somehow we had made it into his bedroom. I was on one side of his bed and he was on the other. He was glaring at me in a way that made me shiver. I'd never seen him this angry. There was something psychological with the separation between me and 2D. Something that was eating him up inside. I briefly considered asking him if he was ok, I was going to room with him after all, but there was a hatred in his eyes that made me stop.

He edged around the bed and I flattened myself up against the wall, partially wishing I could just sink through it and then deal with the fall from the window to the ground later.

"You want to know why I separated you two?" He asked in that eerily calm voice.

I swallowed hard and fought to keep my composure. "Yes." I whispered. "Why?"

He was nearly at me. I wanted to close my eyes and block it all out but then I wouldn't be able to see him and where he was in the room. Suddenly the room felt like it was closing in on me. Even the building was on Murdoc's side. How were 2D and I ever going to get off this island?

"I separated you because you were happy and I wasn't." He whispered, his hand briefly caressing my arm. I jumped away from him and ran straight into the bed post. He had me trapped; my heart was hammering in my chest. This was it. He was going to do it. I tried to retreat into a happy place. Somewhere I could go for an hour or two, or until he was through with me, but I was too terrified to escape into my own mind.

"Why should that face-ache get to be with the one he loves when I haven't even been able to find her because I've been busy trying to take over the world with my music!" he exclaimed, the sudden calm suddenly gone. "Why should he get to be happy when I have never been happy in my entire life?"

And in that instant, the hatred I had for Murdoc and the fear of being raped was suddenly replaced with pity. Murdoc was fucked up because of his terrible family life. We hadn't talked about it much but he had told me a little bit about it one of the many times he was completely smashed. I suspected he thought I had no idea what he was talking about but I knew and my heart ached for him.

I couldn't imagine it. A mother who dumped him at his alcoholic father's place because she didn't want him. A father who abused and used him as a way to get money. How could someone treat a child like that?

Murdoc's lips had settled into a deep frown. There were actual real live tears in his eyes threatening to spill onto his cheeks that he was trying unsuccessfully to hide. I actually _felt_ for him. I wanted to reach out and pull him to me and make him know he was not alone. I wanted to let him know that he didn't need to be with someone romantically to be happy. But I just didn't know how to say it without giving him the wrong message, let alone the fact that once he realized he was showing actual feelings he would just retreat back into the person he is every usual day.

"Murdoc." I started hesitantly. "Murdoc, you know that you don't have to have someone to be happy, right?"

He was staring hard at the floor. I saw his head nod gently. I took in the position we were in. I was backed up against the window, his hands were on either side of my head, and his head was bent, almost lying on my shoulder. If there was anyone outside they would just think that Murdoc had just taken another unsuspecting woman home with him. But I knew no one would see because no one was there.

"Murdoc, you love music right?" I whispered.

He nodded and I heard him mutter "Yeah."

"Then that's what you need. Music makes you happy." I said, hesitantly reaching upwards to comb my fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. I heard him sigh and his entire body relaxed. His hands fell away from the window, and for a moment I relaxed, but then they wrapped around my body and I tensed up. I wasn't trapped in a cage of Murdoc's hands but he was now wrapped around me.

"Don't stop." He groaned. It took me a while before I realized he was talking about my fingers still in his hair. I hadn't even realized I'd stopped.

"Ok." I murmured, too startled to argue. It hit me that Murdoc wasn't going to hurt me. He just needed a warm body nearby. And he obviously couldn't use 2D or that weird Android Noodle. It was lucky I was here for him.

Wait. Stop. Go back. What did I just think?

_It was lucky I was here for him._

God, I was going crazy.

* * *

Yeah that's right, I just gave Murdoc feelings. Think of it as Elle's pay back for when he took care of her.

I don't know if its because its my time of the month and my hormones are like seriously spiking but when I was writing this chapter I was suddenly struck with a deep attraction to Murdoc. Is that weird? Maybe I just like sensitive guys. Huh.

Well, I'm sorry again its been forever. After Syracuse and Mississippi I literally had less than a week before I was off to Indiana for a journalism workshop in Ball State University. I don't know if any of you guys were there but if you were I probably didn't see you. Despite being a workshop they basically split us all into our different staffs and that was it. So I didn't get to see many other people other than my own newspaper staff and the yearbook people that came with us.

So did you guys forget to comment or something? I know that it's been awhile since I've updated but I loved your comments and I'd like to keep getting them please. :) I promise I will work on the updates. Of course, school is starting like...next week so it's going to be hella busy for me for a while but I promise I will be extra good and post soon.

Stay classy


	8. Chapter 8

2D's ears were straining for any noise. He swore he could hear her crying. Or maybe that was Murdoc taking control of her. He pressed his hands over his ears and tried to block out the sounds he thought he was hearing but that didn't stop his imagination. Every time he closed his eyes he could see the disgusting things that pig was doing to Elle.

He considered running after them. He would be her knight in shining armor, busting down the door in the nick of time. She would fall into his arms and then they would find some way off of this bloody island and they would be together forever. He was half-way to the door when he heard the _harrumph_ from the whale floating outside his window. Then his feet froze on the floor and his heart kicked into hyper drive. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, and he couldn't save the love of his life.

His weakness pissed him off. He ranted and raved about it like a mad man. Elle had continuously told him how pointless his fear was. He wished he could believe it.

"You are so weak!" He exclaimed to himself, pulling at his blue hair and tugging on the skin below his eyes. "Your dumb fear of whales is keeping you from the one person you love!"

He let out a frustrated yell and fell back onto his bed. He pulled the pillow over his face and let the darkness seep through his eyes. He took a deep breath and smelled her shampoo. His breathing hitched and he began to cry dry tears. Why did Murdoc always ruin things? Elle had just taken him back. They had just worked everything out and now Murdoc had her in his clutches.

2D pulled the pillow off of his face. Slowly he sat up. He forced himself to look straight into the whale's eye as he closed the curtains, blocking the view into his room. For a second he sat on his bed staring at the curtained window. He felt a smile of euphoria crawl across his lips, he had done it. He had fought his demons and come up victorious. Nearly falling over his own feet, he scrambled off of his bed and sprinted to the door.

"Don't worry Elle," he whispered to himself, "I won't leave you."

* * *

Murdoc was still slumped on my body. His arms were still around my waist, pulling me to him tightly. He had turned his face into my neck and I could feel the fluttering of his eyelashes and the puff of his breath. I felt his fingers clench around my shirt and the scratch of his nails as the bunched material revealed an inch of skin.

I closed my eyes and thought about 2D. I wondered what he was doing. Was he thinking about me? Was he worried? I knew I would be if I was in his position.

Murdoc shifted in my arms. I felt his lips purse at my neck, kissing my skin. I flinched away from him and pulled the hair at the nape of his neck.

"What are you doing?" I murmured to him.

He just grunted and continued to kiss across my shoulder.

"Murdoc stop." I said, pushing at him. He fought against my arms, licking the side of my neck. I shuddered. Tears sprang to my eyes and I fought against him. "Murdoc please, don't."

Finally he pulled away from me. His face was carefully arranged in a mask of no emotion. He unwrapped himself from me and stepped a few paces away. I took a deep breath, wiping at the tears rolling down my cheeks. I could still feel his lips on my neck; I swiped at my neck with my hand wishing the feeling would go away and knowing it would be a long time before it did.

For a long moment we just stared at each other. He was careful not to show any emotion. He opened his mouth to say something but then changed his mind and left the room. I sunk to the floor, unable to touch anything that Murdoc had. I placed my forehead to my knees and took a few calming breaths.

The door slammed open, jolting me from my calming session.

"Elle!" I heard a familiar voice shout. "Are you ok?"

I looked up and locked eyes with 2D. I let out a sigh of relief. "Stuart." I breathed.

He frantically patted me down, trying to find any imperfections or mutilations Murdoc might have given me. My thoughts went to his lips on my neck before I forced the image out of my mind.

"Elle, are you ok? Did he do anything to you?" 2D asked, cradling my head in his hands.

"Y-yes, yes I'm ok." I whispered. "He just scared me is all."

2D's head sagged forward and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God." He pulled me toward him and hugged me tightly to his body. I took in the smell of tobacco and incense and relaxed into his body. Then something struck me.

"Wait, how are you here? Wasn't there a whale following you?" I whispered.

He pulled away, a giant smile on his lips. "I thought of you. I thought of you and everything was ok." He placed a kiss on my lips and then helped me up "Come on, we're getting out of here."

I pulled away from him "What are you talking about? We're in the middle of nowhere. Do you expect us to just swim until we hit land?"

"No silly," he said; that goofy smile still on his lips. I couldn't help but smile myself. His happiness was just so contagious. "Murdoc has a submarine, and a plane, and a pirate's ship, and I think he might have a regular boat. I don't think he wanted to be trapped on this island forever."

I stared at 2D for a moment and then burst out laughing. 2D's smile faltered a little and for about the billionth time since I had arrived on the island I wondered if I was going crazy. Maybe I had starved for far too long on that boat with Noodle. Or maybe I had been exposed to too much sun. Or maybe I was just crazy and this island was all it took to get it out into the open. I needed to get off of this island.

"Do you know how to operate a sub or a plane?" I asked, composing myself.

2D's brow furrowed.

"Well, no…not a sub or a plane." He said, his face darkening for a moment. Then it brightened, "But my dad taught me how to drive a boat!"

I smiled at him. "Ok, let's go."

2D didn't make a move; he just pulled me into his arms and buried his face in my hair.

"I'm so glad you're alright." He whispered. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."

I smiled up at him, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. "I love you, Stu."

He smiled back, "I love you too Elle."

* * *

Murdoc knew something was wrong the minute he reached 2D's room. When it was just him and 2D on the island he couldn't get within three feet without hearing 2D's echoing sobs. He assumed it would be the same when his precious Elle was taken from him but it wasn't. In fact, 2D's room was completely silent. Like he wasn't even there.

Murdoc's heart kicked into high gear. 2D was deathly afraid of whales, he had told him that in the beginning of their weird relationship. That's why Murdoc had hired that whale to watch him and if that bloody whale had let that dunce of a singer out he was going to kill it, endangered species list or not.

"Ay, Face-ache, you in there?" He called out cautiously.

There was no answer. Murdoc growled under his breath. He kicked the door open and howled at the empty room. He darted over to the window and ripped open the curtains. The whale's guilty eye was staring right back at him.

"You'd better get your bloody arse away from this island or I swear to Satan I will slaughter you and have you for dinner tonight. Get me?" He sneered.

The whale's eye widened and, quick as a flash, he swam away into the murky darkness.

Murdoc sat down on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily. He ran his fingers through his hair. He was losing it. He was losing everything, his singer, his band, his record, his girl, his _sanity_. But he wasn't going to give it up so easily. He was going to fight for them. He _deserved_ all of those things. He pushed himself off of 2D's bed and sprinted to the lift. It surprised him, his agility. It wasn't like he was exactly young. He had just had his 44th birthday. Not exactly old per se but he wasn't 30 anymore that was for sure.

"FACE-ACHE." He yelled as loud as he possibly good as the lift shuddered to life.

He hated that singer. He hated everything about him. He hated the fact that he got the women when he had less brain cells then he did testicles. He hated the fact that the one woman he wouldn't mind getting to know before breaking her heart (because that's what Murdoc Niccols does) chose that fucking singer over him. He hated the fact that he hated 2D so much. But he couldn't help it. He just had so much hate.

"FACE-ACHE, YOU'D BETTER GET YOUR ARSE BACK DOWN TO YOUR ROOM OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL—!" Murdoc paused, what was he going to do? He couldn't kill him because he needed him. He couldn't do anything to Elle because he…he what? He loved her?

Murdoc groaned and slid to the floor of the lift. God, love was so confusing. That was why for years his one rule was bang 'em and ditch 'em. Don't get attached and especially_ don't_ fall in love.

"Elle." Murdoc whispered, closing his eyes and wishing things were different. He heard the lift doors ding and then slide open. When he opened his eyes his creation, his monster, was staring at him. One hole in her head and a gun in her hand.

"Android." He said stupidly. "Noodle."

Just at that moment he made a split decision. Forget the next platinum album. He had a majority of the songs recorded. He could get rid of that singer and the heartbreaker that followed him around like a love-sick puppy. He didn't need them. He didn't need anybody. Murdoc took a deep breath and when he exhaled he had gotten his sanity back.

"I don't care how or where," He said, his voice eerily deep and calm. "Kill them or I'll dismantle you and throw you in the ocean."

His creation took one long look at him, and for a moment he thought he saw pity. But of course not, she was a robot. Robots don't have emotions. He was about to tell her again, scream it at her, yell it at her, whatever got through to her but she nodded once and turned smartly on her heel. He heard her lock her gun into place as she walked away and he knew that neither 2D or Elle had a chance of surviving.

And Murdoc was ok with that.

* * *

So I might possibly have a way to end this thing. Yay! I actually know where this thing is going now. WOO.

Anyhoo, I don't know about you guys but my summer is coming to an end. So you know what that means. Not as many updates, which isn't that bad since I've been kind of slacking on my updates lately but it'll be a lot harder for me to update especially with AP and Advanced homework as well as parents breathing down my neck about grades and how much time I spend on the computer. So I don't know when I'll be able to update when the school year starts up again but don't worry. I'll work some time in somewhere. Maybe weekends. That's what weekends are for right? For teenagers to have a life?

School for juniors (like me) and seniors starts on the 12th but I'm in this club LINK, they help out the sophomores and new students so I will have to go into school on the 8th and 10th for orientation from noon to like five or something and then the 11th is the sophomore's first day (which I have to be there for) and then the 12th is my first day. Not to mention I've been going to school every day since Tuesday this week because of journalism camp at my school. God, I really don't want to live at my school but apparently with my schedule I'm going to have to. Bluh.

But on a lighter note, I have a car to drive to said school. So I don't have to ride the stupid, smelly bus. And I can go to sonic afterwards, yay me! :)

So stay classy, I will work on another chapter of Love You So Much These Days because I'm really liking where this is going.


	9. Chapter 9

2D and I had just snuck out of Murdoc's room and onto the lift when I heard the first shout. Murdoc's scream of frustration reached us even through layer upon layer of plastic and building, even through the water that separated us from each other. He had found 2D's empty room. He was now coming for us.

"Stu, we need to go!" I exclaimed, panic rising in my voice. "He knows you're not in your room. He's going to find us!"

2D looked terrified. I knew what happened when 2D got terrified. He froze, his feet glued to the floor. His eyes widened in terror and he mouthed speechlessly at me.

"Stuart!" I cried, trying to snap him out of his helpless state "We need to go NOW."

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "R-right." He sputtered, frantically pushing buttons on the lift. It sputtered to life after he finally found the button to the entrance.

We took no time in lingering when the doors opened. We sprinted past Tattoo, barely staying long enough to hear him shout "The lift. The lift, Boss!" at us. I could see the beach. It looked beautiful. I smelled the salty ocean on the air. I had forgotten how beautiful the outside was. I hadn't seen it since I had woken up on the strange beach. I caught a glimpse of 2D as I was scanning the horizon, he had a happy smile on his lips and I realized he probably hadn't been outside since Murdoc abducted him who knows how many months ago.

"Where's the boat?" I hated ruining his good mood but I honestly didn't want to get caught by Murdoc or that weird robot thing that followed him around.

2D looked around and then shrugged at me.

"You don't know where it is?" I sighed exasperated.

"Well it's not like Mudsy and I are best friends now, is it? Do you think he would tell me something like that?" he hissed.

We glared at each other for a moment. Just as I was about to angrily retort that maybe if he hadn't been so fucking scared of that bloody whale then he would have paid more attention to where Murdoc had kept his get-away vehicle a waving sail caught my eye.

"There it is!" I explained, catching 2D's wrist as I sprinted past him. He stumbled in the pink sand behind me.

It had a cover over a majority of it but the wind or water must have knocked it loose not too long ago. It looked really clean for a boat that Murdoc owned. It was small but decent size; there was a cabin that went down below to a kitchen-y area. The fridge was stocked with beer and various other alcohols. The cupboard had snack foods of all different kinds. It lifted my heart in a feeling I hadn't had in awhile. Hope. We might actually have a chance at getting away.

While 2D tried to steer the boat I was given the task of pushing it away from the dock. It unnerved me at first; considering the fact I'm basically pushing away my way off the island but 2D tried to comfort me telling me that if I did it right I could make it back on the boat without getting much more than a splash of water on me.

I had the rope in my hand when I saw the panic rising on 2D's face.

"What? What's going on?" I asked too terrified to turn around and face whatever was behind me.

BANG. Pain. Blood. Oh God, what just happened?

I touched my hand to my shoulder. When I looked back down at my fingers I realized they were wet. And red.

"Stu?" I asked. My vision was getting blurry. How much blood am I losing? How much blood _can_ I lose?

"ELLE!" 2D screamed. He was in turmoil. If he got off the boat we could risk losing our way off of the island. If he stayed on the boat he could risk losing _me._ I stumbled toward the boat but lost my footing and fell face first into the sand. I hissed as it clustered in and around my wound.

2D abandoned the boat, sprinting toward me on those long legs of his. I heard the click of a gun as who-ever shot me got ready to finish the job. I felt 2D's arms encircle me.

"No, no, no, no." He was chanting. "I'm dead without you. I'm dead without you. Stay alive. _Please_."

I could feel my consciousness slipping away. "Wha-what are you talking about?" I managed to murmur.

2D ignored me and pulled me against him. Somehow he managed to get his arms around me before he lifted me off the ground. I screamed in protest, my shoulder was shooting pain from my fingertips down to my toes. Who would ever want to be in this much pain? Why did they even invent guns?

"I'm dead without you. I'm dead without you." 2D continued to murmur under his breath. I could hear the shells of more bullets impacting the sand and plastic around us. As 2D loped back to the boat I caught a glimpse of who was shooting us over his bony shoulder.

Android Noodle. That freak of nature was shooting at us and she had succeeded in hitting me. It pissed me off and part of me wanted to go back to her and rip that tiny robot head off her robot body. But 2D's arms were too tight around me and I was too weak to fight against them. For one small moment I wondered what had sent her off on this rampage but then I saw him.

Murdoc Niccols. He had been an object of my pity not even an hour ago. Now he was sending psychotic robots that looked like old friends after us. Murdoc was quite possibly the most confusing man on the planet. Sure, 2D had left me because he "needed to be alone" but I understood that decision more than the sudden decision Murdoc had made to kill me and his claim to fame.

"M-Murdoc."I tried to say but I was too weak. I had lost too much blood.

"Don't die." 2D replied, "I'm dead without you."

"Why?" I murmured to the man I knew wouldn't hear me. "Why?"

2D paused to clear some blood stained hair out of my face. I realized that we had somehow made it onto the boat. It was strange I didn't remember 2D wading through the water. I didn't remember the sting of the salt water on my legs, or worse, my wound.

"Elle, look at me." He whispered. I struggled to keep my eyes open as he swiped his thumb across my cheek. "Please don't die. I love you. I need you. I'm dead without you."

I gave a weak smile at him. "I love you too 'D. I'll get right on that no dying thing." I tried to laugh but it made my shoulder ache.

He smiled and placed a kiss to my forehead before placing me on the small table in the boat and skipping every other step back to the steering wheel. I heard the engine kick into gear and pull away from the dock. I heard bullets ring across the hull but none actually punctured it. 2D was weaving the boat first left and then right. I rocked against the table groaning at the sharp pains in my shoulder every time I rolled onto it.

I drifted in and out of consciousness as we sped away from the island. At one point I swore I could see that bug looking man sitting across from me just staring but when I blinked my eyes he was gone. Throughout the whole ordeal the pain of my shoulder was almost unbearable. Was I going to die? I knew it hadn't hit my heart, otherwise I would've—but I didn't want to think about that. Had I lost too much blood? I was getting a little woozy.

I heard 2D coming down the stairs, tripping in his haste to see me.

"Elle," He gasped, "don't worry, we're ok, we're far away from that island."

I tried to respond but my vision was cloudy and I wasn't entirely sure he was really there or if it was just an illusion.

"Elle?" He asked frantic. "Elle?"

I heard him take a ragged breath as he convulsed in dry sobs. "Don't die. _Please_ don't die. I'm dead without you. I'm dead without you."

I coughed, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. "You keep repeating that, what does it even mean?"

He looked up at me and smiled weakly, "Elle? You're ok?"

I choked up a laugh again wincing at my shoulder "Well, I've been shot in the shoulder and I'm not entirely sure if you're really there or if you're just an illusion. But otherwise I'm just peachy. You?"

He forced a laugh and tucked some of my hair behind my ear.

"You didn't answer my question." I murmured, unable to speak much louder than that. "You keep repeating 'I'm dead without you.' What does that mean?"

He paused and I saw a darkness flit across his face. "I had a dream where you dying from a hole right about where you were shot. It's just gotten all too real for me."

I licked my lips, they felt like sand paper. Is this how you felt when you were dying? That you were slowly running out of fluids? I lifted a hand to 2D's cheek, using a majority of my remaining energy.

"2D," I started but I didn't know how to finish. What was I supposed to tell him, that I was going to be ok? Because I wasn't even sure I was going to be.

He stared at me for a moment, a hopeful look on his face. He wanted me to tell him that everything was going to work out fine. He wanted me to tell him that I would survive and that we would be together but deep down he knew things didn't always work out that way. He retreated into a far corner of the boat and curled into a ball. I didn't need to hear the echoing sobs or see his shaking shoulders to know that he was utterly hopeless.

Because that was how I was feeling.

* * *

Is it really bad that I actually enjoyed shooting Elle? Maybe I just like a little drama and shooting is the top notch of drama.

So she probably wouldn't die from a shoulder wound but lets just say she's losing a lot of blood because Elle has a lot of blood in...that particular shoulder. Or something. Whatever, suspend your disbelief people. Be worried for Elle.

Do not worry, this isn't the last time you will see Plastic Beach, Murdoc, or the lovely Android Noodle.

Because everyone wants to see the face off between the faux and the real deal.

Leave a comment and stay classy. :)


	10. Chapter 10

She was coughing. They were soul rattling coughs. He wanted to curl up into a ball and put his hands over his ears. He didn't want to see her suffering. He didn't want to see her dying. She groaned and coughed some more. Then he heard his name escape from her lips.

"St-Stuart." She stumbled.

Forgetting his desire to ignore her suffering he rushed to her side. She was barely awake, maybe not even awake at all. Her eyelids were fluttering and her forehead was covered in a light sheen of sweat. He tried to wipe some of it away but it didn't do any good. She was in a bad condition and he knew it. There had to be a First Aid Kit somewhere but even if he found it he wouldn't know what to do with it. He didn't want to admit it but he knew what he had to do.

He had to go back.

"Elle," He whispered to her, not caring if she heard him or not. "Don't worry; you're going to be ok. I promise. We're going to get some help for you."

Her eyelids fluttered and she groaned again. 2D almost couldn't tear himself away from her side. That dream kept floating through his head.

_I'm dead without you._

He couldn't lose her, he just couldn't. He had lost her before when he had gone to Beirut, if he lost her again he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He would be dead without her.

He shuddered at his thoughts and finally forced himself to the wheel of the boat.

2D knew that while he couldn't help Elle, Murdoc could no matter how crazy he had become.

* * *

Murdoc wasn't surprised when he got onto the beach and saw only Android Noodle sitting in the sand. He didn't bother looking around for half-covered up bodies or pools of blood. He knew he had lost the fight. Android Noodle, mute as always, just looked up at him. He wondered if she felt any guilt about failing his orders when he remembered she was a robot and obviously robots don't have feelings.

"Don't worry about it 'Droid." He muttered, waving her away. He heard her beep and click as she stood up, dusted herself off, and tromped back up to the building.

He stood on the shoreline letting the water wash up onto his toes. He looked out onto the horizon. That brown dome, growing ever closer, was still off in the distance but he knew it was only a matter of weeks, perhaps days, before he would have to confront whatever that thing was.

Murdoc thought about what he had done. He had ordered his creation to murder the one thing that he could possibly ever love. And for awhile he felt no guilt about it. However, after the sounds of bullets died down a thought struck him. Why didn't he just order the Android to kill off that Face-ache? Why didn't he just kidnap Elle and _make_ her love him? God he was such an _idiot_!

He considered pitching himself into the ocean and just letting his body drift down to the floor. What else did he have to live for? He had just chased away the woman he loved and the man she chose over him. He had rescued the late guitar princess from Hell and then lost her amongst the plans of a new platinum album. He hadn't even tried to reconnect with Russel, who needed a giant drummer with hams for fists? It was just him and that bloody Android.

The horizon stared back at him, not giving anything away. He stared angrily at it before he realized he was seeing something else. It wasn't that brown dome that had become so familiar. No, it was small. It was small and it had…was that a sail?

"Well I'll be damned." Murdoc murmured amused under his breath.

He heard the Android come sprinting back towards him. Obviously she hung around just inside the door. She pointed her gun at it and took aim. Murdoc placed a hand on the barrel.

"Don't. Not yet." He murmured. "Wait."

The android stared at him for a moment, almost questioning his actions. Murdoc wondered if maybe he should be questioning what he was doing himself. There was something about that shape that just seemed so...familiar.

Murdoc's eyes widened. It was his boat. The boat that his Elle was in. She was coming back to him. He placed a hand to his eyes and squinted into the sunlight. He considered wading into the water and meeting her half-way. Isn't that one of the rules of a relationship? Always meet her half-way? He hadn't been one for relationships in all his years and now he wished he had read a book or looked something up on the internet. Something to help him win her over. Something to help her love him like he loved her.

However his feelings changed when the boat pulled up and 2D, not Elle, greeted him. Murdoc turned away scowling. She hadn't come back for him. Though there was something off about the tightness in 2D's mouth and the paleness of his skin.

"What happened?" Murdoc snarled over his shoulder.

2D's breathing was ragged. If Murdoc didn't know any better he would have said 2D was crying.

"What happened?" he repeated panicking. Oh Satan, what had he done to his Elle?

"Sh-she's hurt. Badly." 2D just managed to get out.

"Bloody hell." Murdoc whispered before sprinting toward his boat. She was hurt. He did this. God, he hated himself.

It didn't take long for him to find her. It wasn't a big boat but that didn't keep him from searching for her. She was hurt. She was hurt badly. Murdoc's heart gave a painful throb at the sight of her body, limp on the table. He could see the red stain starting at her shoulder, dripping down her side.

"Elle." He managed to choke out. "Sweet Satan."

She coughed and her eyes fluttered open. He inwardly sighed with relief. She wasn't dead. At least not yet.

"Murdoc?" She whispered. He closed his eyes and soaked in the sound of his name on her lips.

When he opened his eyes again she had scooted as far away from him as she possibly could. There was a hiss on her lips but it wasn't because she was trying to keep him away but because she had jostled her shoulder and it was now seeping more blood onto her already soaked shirt.

"No, no, no," he murmured, "Elle I'm not here to hurt you."

He edged toward her and she shrunk away from him as much as possible, wincing at the pain.

"I promise, Elle, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help." He whispered to her. It surprised him when he felt a wetness roll down his cheeks. He was crying about this woman. It hurt him to see her so afraid of him. "Elle, I promise, I'm only here to help."

Elle closed her eyes and winced once more at the pain. When she looked at him again he saw a helpless look in her eyes. She knew she had two choices: place her life in his hands or die on that table in the boat she couldn't get away on.

"Help me." She whispered, tears matching his own, rolling down her cheeks and into her ears.

"Of course, luv." He sighed, gasping at the rising sadness in his throat.

He crossed the distance between them in seconds, not being able to stand being away from her. He suppressed a moment of maniacal laughter. In a matter of days Elle had managed to completely capture his heart and now that helpless look in her eyes was like a hand had wrapped around his heart and squeezed. Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the table. He saw her eyes close in pain and he wished there was something he could do to ease her pain. Her eyes opened and for a moment their eyes locked. He wished things had worked out differently. He wished it had been _him_ she had fallen in love with; it was_ him_ she had come to this island to see. Then her eyes fell closed and she went limp in his arms.

For a moment he panicked, had she just _died_ in his arms? But he felt her heart beating against his and he saw the rise and fall of her chest and he knew she had passed out, whether it was from lack of blood or intense pain. He swiftly placed a soft kiss on her forehead, loving the feel of her skin on his lips.

When he made his way out of the boat 2D fluttered around him like a butterfly on crack. Murdoc wanted to shoo him away, lock him in that room drowning in the ocean, but he couldn't blame 2D. He wanted Elle to be ok because without her…well, without her he was nothing. And Murdoc was becoming increasingly aware that he was nothing without her either.

"Will she be ok?" was the question continuously in Murdoc's ears.

Murdoc took one long look into Elle's slumbering face before reluctantly looking up at her…boyfriend, lover, something that Murdoc himself wanted to be.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." He sighed and snuck another glance at Elle. "You did the right thing."

2D opened his mouth, surely to wonder about why the Satanist was being so nice to him, but Elle groaned softly in her sleep and all of a sudden his world was her. Murdoc glared at him. What he would do to be in 2D's shoes.

* * *

I was completely disoriented when I woke up. I was mostly positive that the scene where Murdoc told me he wasn't going to hurt me was a dream. There had never been a moment in all the time I had known Murdoc where he had ever been nice to anyone other than himself. But when I opened my eyes there was something wrong. We were on a boat, on the way to land, right? I lay as still as I possibly could feeling the movement beneath me.

But there was none.

I looked around and my heart plummeted. I was in his room. I was in that _monster's_ room. Panicked I shot up, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. I touched my fingers to it expecting to see blood or feel the hole where the bullet went in. Instead there was no blood and my fingers met…bandage?

I heard a cough; terrified I turned toward the sound. There he was, just standing there, beside the bed, staring at me. We locked eyes for one brief moment and then I was racing toward the edge of the bed and toward the door.

"Elle!" I heard him call as I sprinted for the lift. I was just reaching for the button to my escape when his hand wrapped around my wrist.

I fought valiantly against him but my shoulder was still too sore and I was still too weak. After a few minutes of struggling I gave up and glared up at the bassist.

"You have to stay still. You need to get better." He whispered to me.

I realized that we were mere inches away from each other. For a brief moment I wondered where 2D was but then I heard the elevator ding and Murdoc was pushing me as far away from him as possible. He looked at me, a torture I couldn't understand, in his eyes and walked back to his room.

"You need to lie down." He threw over his shoulder. "I suggest using 2D's."

The slam of the door echoed through my body. 2D didn't seem to mind. He gladly wrapped me up in a hug and told me how much he loved me. I just wanted to know what was going through Murdoc's head. And that alone scared me enough.

* * *

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter. It kind of took on a life of its own. And is it bad that I'm sort of kind of possibly maybe rooting for Eldoc, or...Mudle? haha. Wow that sounds stupid. But I'm considering switching teams. Maybe Murdoc's having a mid-life crisis or something.

So poll: How do you guys want this to end? Should I go the regular way and just have Elle end up with 2D, the guy she's been in love with since she was 15 or should I do a Pocahontas 2 and make 2D kind of like...not the right guy for her. You know, I'm sure you guys have seen Pocahontas 2, where she meets this other guy with brown hair and falls in love with him and then the blonde guy that she would have died for in the first movie? Right, yeah. You probably have no idea what I"m talking about.

Anywhoo, leave a comment, either for the poll or just for the hell of it and as always stay classy.

Oh p.s. school starts tomorrow. Yikes.


	11. Chapter 11

In a few days the pain in my shoulder had melted into a dull throb. I was well enough to walk around the building which was strange. The last time I had been on this God forsaken island Murdoc had hardly let me out of my room. Now he would greet me in the halls, let me sit on the beach, and hang out in the recording studio when he was editing. If it had been three months earlier I would have scoffed at the opportunity to sit in with Murdoc while he was editing but I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to know what was going on not only in his head but in mine too.

2D had gone to bed early complaining of a headache, at first I curled up next to him and tried to sleep myself but as he drifted off to sleep I became more and more awake. I could hear the thumping of the bass through the ceiling; it felt like it was calling me. So I placed a guilty kiss on 2D's forehead and snuck out of the room.

Murdoc looked surprised when I knocked on the door. He looked comical in the big headphones. I forced back a smile.

"What are you doing here, luv?" He asked, his finger frozen on an unknown button.

"Uh…couldn't sleep." I replied quickly. I wasn't entirely sure if it was a lie. It was true, I hadn't been able to go to sleep but that was because I was too wrapped up with confusing thoughts of Murdoc.

He smiled at me and then turned back to his editing. Silently I crept toward the chair next to him. My heart was racing as well as my mind. I was trying not to think too hard about what exactly I was doing. Murdoc didn't even give me a second glance when I sunk down next to him but I saw his body stiffen.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked.

Murdoc sighed and pressed pause on his fancy control board. He turned to me, trying to look stern but I could see that he was secretly excited I was so close to him. He leaned toward me, again in an attempt to be angry. It made my heart kick into hyper gear.

"I'm working, luv. Can I help you?" He whispered.

A shiver worked its way down my spine. It terrified me. Once I used to be completely disgusted by this man and now…now I was strangely attracted to him. I forced myself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Murdoc was looking at me expectantly. I had to answer him.

"I think something's wrong with me." I murmured back to him.

His brow furrowed and instantly he was worried about me.

"Is it your shoulder? Is it infected?" He asked, his hands fluttering around me, not sure where he should do.

I rubbed my fingers over my forehead. All this drama was giving me a headache.

"No, it's not my shoulder." I muttered. I couldn't look at him. I just began playing with my fingers in my lap. He reached out and took hold of them. There was an electric shock that ran through my body from my fingers all the way to my toes. Murdoc pulled his hands away quickly; I hadn't been the only one that felt it.

"Well, what is it luv?" He asked, reaching out as if to tuck a piece of hair out of my face but thinking better of it.

I found myself reaching out toward him. My fingertips brushed his jaw and he jerked away. I felt an ache in my chest and realized with a surprised jolt that I was hurt that he didn't want me to touch him. I pulled my hand back down to my lap and stared at it.

"Sorry." I muttered.

I could feel him staring at me but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I thought maybe after a moment or two he would give up and go back to editing. I would then slink back out of the room and back to 2D and try to forget what was going through my head. So I was surprised when I felt his fingers on my chin, pulling my face back to his.

"Hey, are you ok?" he murmured, not even restricting himself to tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I closed my eyes and wished I could figure out what was going through my head.

"I don't know anymore." I muttered.

When I opened my eyes they locked with his. There was a long moment where time froze. His hand remained under my chin. My heart was thumping erratically in my chest. His breathing became heavy and I saw his eyes dart to my lips. I knew what was going to happen and before I would have been repulsed by the idea of kissing Murdoc, though I had done it once before, but now it seemed almost…pleasant.

"Elle," he whispered, his breath snaking over my face. "I really want to kiss you luv."

I sighed, "I know."

He groaned and pulled my face to his. His lips closed over mine and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Had he kissed like this the last time? Or had he been practicing? I felt his hands slide down my body and grab hold of my legs. Quick as a flash he had me out of my chair and into his lap. My mind turned off and just fell to the persuasive sensuality of Murdoc's lips sliding down my jaw line to the base of my neck.

_I could really get lost in this man, _I found myself thinking as I buried my fingers in his graying hair. I could hear him groaning as his hands trailed up and down my sides, his fingernails counting every one of my ribs. Gasping I brought his lips (which were currently worshipping my collar bone) back up to mine.

"Oh Satan Elle." I heard him whisper in one of the few moments we weren't preoccupied with each other. "Sweet Satan I love you."

I heard his words through a thick fog but they quickly pulled me back to Earth. His hands were working their way under my shirt. My hands were tangled in his hair. His eyes were closed, a look of pure ecstasy on his face. He was still in that place, trapped in sexual tension and lust. I was free falling from that paradise into those three simple words.

"What did you say?" I asked, pushing his face away from mine.

His half-lidded eyes gradually opened back up. That goofy grin quickly fell off his face. He stared at me terror-stricken at what had just slipped out of his mouth.

"What did you say?" I repeated.

"N-nothing luv." He said trying to play it off. Quickly he swooped in and placed a wet kiss on the base of my throat. He was trying to distract me but I wasn't buying it.

"You love me?" I whispered to him. It was a confused whisper. After all, we hadn't seen each other for five years and in the small amount of time we had seen each other I had made it pretty clear I thought he was a monster.

_And yet here you are, in his lap, snogging him senseless._ The voice in the back of my head chimed in.

Murdoc stared at me conflicted. He could deny it and risk me getting angry at him for lying or he could admit it and risk his feelings not being returned. Suddenly he couldn't look me in the eyes any more. He pulled his exploring fingers out from under my shirt and played, uncomfortably, with the hem of it.

"I-I think I do, yeah." He murmured. "I have no idea how it happened but it just did."

I sat back and ran a hand through my tangled hair. Oh Jesus what had I just done? I felt myself pushing away from him. I pulled his hands off of me and stumbled away from him.

"This was a mistake." I said, feeling the rush of tears clog my throat. "I'm sorry."

I turned and sprinted toward the lift. I needed to get away from him. I needed to think. I needed the ocean. I needed Noodle.

When I reached the beach I sat down at the edge of the water and let myself cry. I cried for 2D who would never have any idea that I had done what I had just done, I cried for Noodle and Russel who were too far away to help me, even though I could see his big dome just off in the distance, I cried for Murdoc who was only dealing with the loneliness of living on an island made of plastic in the middle of nowhere, and I cried for myself because honestly, I should have been able to figure out what I wanted by now.

I cried and cried and cried until there were no more tears left and then I lay down and looked up into the stars. They twinkled down at me, smiling as if there was nothing wrong but I knew better. I had just made out with a man that I had sworn up and down I would never even consider getting within three feet of while my boyfriend was sleeping just a few floors below. I closed my eyes against the pain of an aching heart and let myself drift into the inky land of sleep, wishing that everything would be better when I woke up but knowing that it wouldn't be.

* * *

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, they made out! And I am oddly happy about it because they are oddly almost cute. I must need serious help.

So today was my first day of school. Yikes. It wasn't so bad other than the fact that I have a zero hour AP US history class that I need to be at by 7:00 every morning or else I get a tardy and then a detention and then an ISS or something radical like that. Yeah. Ouch. But the teacher is pretty cool so I'm not too worried.

Something interesting about my night last night: I had this super adorable dream where I was pregnant with a teacher's baby. Let's call him...Spence. Yeah I had this dream that we were all lovey-dovey and we were at this resteraunt being exactly the kind of thing that I hate (PDA-y) but loving every minute of it (I'm such a hypocrite) and then we got a table in the back of the restaurant and he leaned over and put his hand on my stomach and smiled this big excited smile because he was going to be a daddy and it just warmed the cockles of my heart. But 1) I am not in love with this Mr. Spence and 2) he has never taught any of my classes so the fact that he was the daddy was really weird.

I looked it up on dream dictionary, the fact that I had a dream about a teacher suggests that I need guidance or knowledge and the fact that I had a pregnancy dream means that I'm anxious about a new chapter in my life. So I just started my junior year in high school, I'm a little nervous about that. Maybe I should seek out some guidance or knowledge or something.

Anyhoo, I'd thought you'd be interested in it. If not then leave a comment and stay classy. :)


	12. Chapter 12

Murdoc's heart was racing. Her lips were on his, he was finally kissing the woman he had fallen in love with. He heaved her onto her lap and instead of protesting she gave him a small whimper that echoed to the place his soul would have been if he hadn't sold it to Satan and pulled him closer. He needed to feel more of her. He needed to soon or he was going to explode.

He ran his fingers gingerly over her bandaged shoulder, she hissed a little at the brief contact but it didn't stop her from kissing him and he was glad. He skimmed his fingertips over each and every one of her ribs counting, loving the feeling of her squirming at the tickling sensation. His body was super aware to the fact that just a few layers of clothing were what separated him from taking her from 2D. That very thought made Murdoc moan and he focused his lips on her throat, hoping he could mark her before they made things more official.

He felt the words he so desperately wanted to hear from her lips bubbling up to his. For a split second he debated on telling her or just keeping it to himself and making sure she felt the same but by the time he had decided she was pulling away from him. The look in her eyes made him realize his mind hadn't shut down his mouth.

"I love you." He had said, and now she was looking like she didn't understand what she was doing in his lap, her fingers in his hair, and his hands gripping her waist.

"What did you say?" she asked him and he scrambled for an answer that didn't make him out to be completely crazy.

"N-nothing." He replied, inwardly wincing at the terrible lie. He was usually so good at lying. This woman was changing him more than he thought. He placed a kiss on a bruise he could see forming on her collarbone hoping she would again get lost in the passion that had captured her seconds ago.

She wasn't having it. She tightened her fingers in his hair, pulling his face back to hers. He got lost in her eyes and for that moment he wanted to tell her again, no matter what reaction he got.

"You love me?" she whispered to him. He couldn't tell if she was thoroughly disgusted by the idea or not.

He was so lost in everything about her he almost missed her question._ This is it._ That little voice in his head whispered to him. _Tell her._ But he just kept staring at her not saying anything and looking like a complete idiot. Finally he found his voice.

"I-I think I do, yeah." He murmured to her. "I have no idea how it happened but it just did."

She was pulling farther away from him. He wished he had never spoken. He wished he had just shut up and kissed her until she couldn't remember that Face-ache's name. He watched her fingers skim through her hair enviously knowing not ten minutes ago those fingers had been his.

"This was a mistake." She said, finally taking her sledge-hammer to his heart. "I'm sorry."

She scooted off of his lap and sprinted out the door.

He considered following after her, wasn't that what the guy was supposed to do? It was in the limited amount of romance movies he had watched. The heroine had run from her love interest and that love interest had followed her after a moment's hesitation where he considered moving on with his life. Then she realized how much she loved him and they lived happily ever after.

"Happily ever after." Murdoc murmured to himself and he was half-out of the room when he remembered 2D sleeping in the room below him. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to sit back down at the sound board. "Happily ever after is not my type." He muttered angrily to the empty air.

He would have to see her soon. It wasn't exactly like she could run away. They were in the middle of nowhere and there was no cell phone reception. Murdoc briefly thought of the big island thing that was gradually getting closer to Plastic Beach but he quickly dismissed it.

Murdoc tried to go back to editing but that meant he had to listen to the man she _really _loved and frankly he didn't care about that dunce, platinum record and world dominance or not. Angrily he swiped at the equipment, knocking some headphones and instruments to the floor.

She loved him. She had to. Otherwise she wouldn't have come searching for him. She wouldn't have looked so beautiful in the chair next to him. She wouldn't have let him kiss her. She wouldn't, she wouldn't. But she _did _so it was obvious that she loved him. That's what he would have done if their roles had been switched.

He let out a strangled sob, surprising himself for about the hundredth time since she had arrived on his island. He was _crying_ about her. Maybe he's getting too old. He counted the years, it had been so long since age had meant anything to him, and realized he was technically middle aged. Maybe he was having a mid-life crisis or something.

Angrily wiping at the tears rolling down his cheeks he pressed his forehead to the sliver of countertop not covered by the recording equipment. He closed his eyes and there she was, like a tattoo on his eyelids. He could see her shiny blonde hair, her blue-green eyes, and the smile that made her eyes go all squinty. How could she go for someone like 2D when he had been there the entire time?

He thought back to the few things she had told him about her life. She had known 2D a lot longer than she'd known Murdoc. Maybe that was it; he needed to get 2D out of the way so she could see how perfect _he_ was for her. Murdoc lifted his head from the desk, a determined, almost maniacal, look in his eyes and a grim smile on his lips.

"ANDROID." He yelled out to it. "GET YOUR BLOODY ARSE IN HERE."

For a few moments there was no sound and then he heard the mechanical whirrs as the android he had shaped after Noodle stepped into the recording studio. She looked at him expectantly, her gun cocked and ready in her arms.

"Wake the dunce in the ocean room downstairs and find Elle." He said, almost caressing her name.

The android looked at him quizzically for a moment and then his recorded voice answered him.

"'Wake the dunce' DOES. NOT. COMPUTE." She spat out.

"GET 2D AND BRING HIM TO ME." Murdoc screamed, already at the end of his patience. That dullard had had a far too easy life. A life that needed to be ended.

He would show her. He would show Elle how much she loved him, how much she needed him. How much she didn't need 2D.

* * *

So question...how come when I post a chapter about how Elle almost dies you guys like explode with comments but when I post a chapter about how Murdoc and Elle _totally made out while 2D was in the other room_ I get nothing? Where is the justice in that?

No new news here on the home front. All though speaking of news I definitely KICKED ASS on an editorial I'm doing for my newspaper. I'm so proud of myself. I'm getting a big head.

But stay classy and don't forget to leave a comment. :)


	13. Chapter 13

Noodle and Russel had been at sea for weeks. For days on end Russel would wade through the water, Noodle perched atop his head. They scoured the sea for that small little island but they couldn't find it. At night, when everything went pitch black, Noodle whispered her stories in Russel's ears and Russel, comforted by the fact that she had managed to go through all of that and still be with him today, would close his eyes for a moment and fall into a dreamless sleep.

Every morning they would search the horizon for a speck of an island in the middle of the ocean but all that stared back at them were miles upon miles of ocean. Then they would set off in the direction they had been swimming for days not knowing whether or not they were heading the right direction or not.

"Russel-san?" Noodle asked one day as they were wading toward an imaginary island. "Are we ever going to save them?"

"Of course, Noods." Russel murmured, wishing if he said or thought it enough it would be true. "We'll save them. We'll find 2D and Elle and we'll save them."

Noodle nodded and turned to stare up into the never-ending sky. She closed her eyes and wished Elle was with her. She blamed herself for letting Elle fall. She blamed herself for a lot of things nowadays. She sighed and turned back over to scour the horizon for the island again.

Before she was about to give up and go back to blaming herself for everything something caught her eye.

"Russel-san!" she exclaimed. "There it is!"

Russel stopped so quickly that Noodle had to scramble to hold on to something or else she was going to get pitched from his head. There was a quiet moment where all that they could hear was the lapping of the ocean and Russel's heavy breathing.

Then there was a sound, small at first but growing in the otherwise pressing silence. It took Noodle a moment to realize it was Russel laughing. He wiped a massive finger under his milky eyes to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks. Noodle wasn't sure if they were tears of happiness of tears of sadness.

"See, Noods," Russel called up to her through his tears and laughter, "I told you we'd rescue them."

* * *

My stomach was rolling when I woke up. I scrambled toward the edge of the water and heaved everything I had eaten over the last day into the ocean. When I was done I crawled back up to the spot on the beach I had called a bed and curled my legs up to my chest. I counted through my day to figure out what had been the deciding factor in my vomiting spell but all I could come up with was my crazy decision to seek Murdoc out and snog him.

I heard a mechanical whizz and the Android was standing over me. Its gun was hanging loosely by its side. I debated trying to make a break for it, grab its gun, shoot it until I was positive it wasn't getting back up and then make a beeline for the boat but one thought held me back.

_2D._

"'Find Elle'" the Android was repeating back to me. It was unmistakably Murdoc's voice. He sounded like he was brimming with anger. It scared me.

"Ok, you found me." I said to it, shakily pulling myself off the ground. My stomach dipped as though I had just shot down a rollercoaster instead of standing up. Slapping a hand to my mouth I lurched back down the beach to the water. After a few dry heaves I managed to compose myself. I let the Android lead me back to the building a heavy dread growing in my empty stomach.

I considered what I had done the night before. I had found Murdoc and then kissed him like I loved _him_ not 2D. There was a headache growing right behind my ear, this boy stuff was just too crazy. I forced myself to think of something else, my stomach was still rolling unpleasantly even though there was nothing left in my stomach. I closed my eyes for a second to try and will my stomach into calming down but there was no use.

I considered how long I had been on the island, a month, maybe two? I had lost track of the days, the weeks, hell even the months. There was a nagging in the back of my head, like something I had forgotten, but I couldn't place it. The Android shoved me back into the recording studio and slammed the door behind me and I still couldn't place it. God, this was going to bug me forever.

For a moment I was lost in my own world and then, just like that, I was smothered by a tall, skinny man. His blue hair was in my eyes. I didn't know how wound up I was until he wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss on my temple.

"2D." I groaned, tears leaking out of my eyes. "2D, I did something stupid."

He pulled back to look at me. He cupped my cheek in his hand and smiled a crooked smile as his thumb swiped at the tears rolling down my cheeks. "No you didn't chickadee. It's not your fault."

I gently pushed his hands away. "No 2D, I did." I looked down at my toes, there was pink sand still stuck in between them, "Last night, I hung out with Murdoc."

There was silence and then 2D began to chuckle.

"Chickadee you think that just because you spent some time with Murdoc I would think you were stupid."

I gave a strangled maniacal laugh. If only I had 'just spent time with Murdoc'. 2D looked at me like I had gone crazy. Maybe I had. My stomach gave another lurch even though there was definitely nothing left in it. That little niggling in the back of my mind itched again and I wished I could remember what I'd forgotten.

"I-," I started but it felt like my stomach flipped itself completely over and I had to force the bile rising in my throat back down. "I think I'm going to be sick."

2D reached out a hand to help me but let it drop as I ran past him toward the nearest sink, toilet, or (if I was desperate, bucket). I managed to make it to the giant overturned bells before heaving. I leaned my forehead against the cool metal and asked whoever was up there why I deserved this.

And then, as if Big Guns Upstairs heard me, that nagging feeling suddenly went away. Unfortunately it was replaced with a sinking feeling of dread. I counted quickly trying to figure out how long I had been on this damn island and how long ago I had slept with 2D. When the numbers didn't add up I almost vomited again. I knew why I felt this way, I knew why I couldn't keep anything down, why I wanted to kiss Murdoc even though he'd done nothing but shit to me before and after I'd arrived on Plastic Beach. I knew and I wish I didn't.

"Ah, Elle, so you've christened the bell I see." I heard Murdoc say and my heart skipped a beat. Oh God, what would Murdoc do when he found out? I looked up at him, terrified, as if he could read my mind.

I saw him turn toward the Android and mutter to her "Oy, you're gonna clean that up."

2D fiddled with his fingers looking anxiously between me and Murdoc. He looked as if he was deciding whether or not I needed any help or if I was alright.

"Alright, luv you've got a big decision to make." Murdoc said to me, a maniacal smile on his features.

"I do?" I whispered, unable to say anything louder.

"Yes," He murmured, reaching a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "You've been playing and that isn't very nice."

I considered what he was saying "What?" I asked, completely confused.

"What are you talking about Murdoc?" I heard 2D ask.

"This doesn't concern you yet, Face-ache!" Murdoc roared. He took a breath and then turned his attention back on me, the scary smile back on his lips. "Now, you've been playing both with me and your boyfriend-thing over there. And that isn't very nice. You've got to choose." Murdoc's voice was rising, 2D was looking scared, my stomach was rolling again but this time it wasn't because of my predicament it was because of what Murdoc was getting at.

"It's either _me_," Murdoc pointed a finger at himself, "Or _him_." He pointed over at 2D who looked utterly confused.

"What's going on?" 2D asked in a quiet voice.

Murdoc's eyes widened. He tried to lock eyes with me but I couldn't look at him. A gleeful smile spread across his lips. He actually began to laugh.

"You mean you haven't told the dullard?" He said amidst his giggles. He sobered up quickly, "Last night, your _girlfriend_, came looking for a snog. And it was delicious." He said, running his fingers through my hair. I tried to pull away, disgusted.

2D looked hurt. "Elle?" He whispered to me.

I didn't have words. What was I supposed to do? Tell him yes I did it but I was acting under the influence of what was currently occupying my womb? Or should I lie and tell him no and be left to the mercy of Murdoc. With tears falling down my cheeks I nodded.

"It's true. I did." I murmured. I heard Murdoc snicker and I looked up determined. "But I think I know why I did it."

Murdoc looked down at me, taken by surprise. "What's that luvvie? Of course you know why, you love me more than that dunce."

I took a breath and wrapped my arms around my torso. The two men stared at me their faces completely different. 2D looked hurt and completely checked out of the conversation I hoped he could catch the next thing I was about to say. Murdoc just looked confused, why was I causing him so much trouble? In his mind I had basically already told him I loved him. But I didn't. I loved 2D. I loved Stuart Pot.

"I'm pregnant." I whispered so quiet that Murdoc leaned in closer.

"What's that? You've got a present?" He said. 2D looked up, a new light in his eyes. Had he heard?

"You're—you're pregnant?" Apparently he had.

I nodded my head slowly and looked down at my stomach as if trying to see a little bulge where the child was growing inside of me. Of course I didn't but I felt something blossoming in my soul, in my heart, and it took me a moment to realize that I was falling in love with this baby, it was mine.

Murdoc looked completely taken by surprise. He recoiled away from me, careful not to look at my stomach. He turned away from everyone and began walking to the door of the recording studio. As he passed by the Android I heard him whisper to her.

"Kill them both." And my heart sunk.

* * *

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy guyyyyyyyys, long time no see, huh?

School is kicking my ass. I'm considering just dropping out and becoming a homeless person until I get a best seller or something. Holy crap taking AP US History was not a good idea. And Spanish III is pretty much the hardest language class I've ever taken. I'm just dumb.

I got in my first car wreck last week. It wasn't like totaled but I was running late to school, parked shitty, backed up to fix myself, forgot to put the car back in drive, and hit the accelerator. I exchanged my information with the cop who then gave it to the kid and it's all good. His car was already pretty beat up so i don't think I did anything to it but holy shit guys, it was a rough week that week. But its all good now.

I figured I should make Elle pregnant. It's a nice touch. Now I'm going to have to write in a pregnant woman's point of view. Awesomesauce. This might call for superior writer's skillz.

Hey, don't be like me so make sure you drive save, don't take APUSH, and stay extra classy.

Oh and p.s. I checked this story today and because of that extra review I worked extra hard on this chapter because ideas were running a little slow. So hey, you might be that one reviewer next time. That's why you should always review. :)


	14. Chapter 14

My parents and I had moved from the States to England when I was going into my sixth grade year. I was terrified of going to a new school and meeting new people. I remembered the next morning my mom waking me up in the morning to get me ready for school and my dad kissing me good-bye as I walked out the door to catch the bus. I remembered the day that I met 2D. I had walked under the big oak tree growing in the front of the school and he had just swung down to meet me. He gave me a big gap-toothed smile and introduced himself.

"Pot, Stuart Pot." He had said extending a hand. "But my friends call me Stu and so can you."

I had giggled at his unintentional rhyme and his big smile got even bigger. Then, in a matter of seconds, he had gone from hanging upside down in front of me to being crumpled on the ground trying hard not to cry. At first I thought maybe it was part of his joke, just a big elaborate scheme to make me laugh but when he sat up, pulling chunks of his brown hair out of his head like he had just glued them there I knew the joke was over.

The teacher ran over to him to make sure he was ok and was as shocked as I was at shining clumps of hair in his hands. He sniffled, the silly notion that crying in front of girls was sissy keeping him from exclaiming his sorrow. The teacher instructed me to go inside and get started on my studies but I told her there was no way, no how. Stu was my friend and I was going to be there for him. For a moment I thought she was going to tell me to go inside or else but then her lips broke into a smile and she allowed me to stay with him.

I stayed with him until his parents came to pick him up and take him to the doctor to make sure he didn't have any kind of brain damage besides the extreme hair loss. And in the course of that ten minutes or so 2D and I had become extremely good friends.

"You're going to be my best friend from now on." He had said, squeezing my hand for a moment and giving me another gap-toothed grin I realized I was beginning to love.

"Ok, best friends forever." I had murmured back, loving how cliché everything was turning out to be.

* * *

I was looking down the barrel of the Android's shotgun for the second time in the month or so I had been on this damn island. My heart was thumping hard and fast in my chest. 2D shoved his way in front of me. I opened my mouth to protest but the searing look he gave me over his shoulder stopped me.

"I'm not letting you get shot _again_." He whispered to me. "Especially not now."

I spread one hand across my stomach and nodded. "Ok."

He turned back determinately at the Android. She was just staring at us, her gun cocked and ready to steal one of us away from the other. Slowly he raised his hands in a gesture of peace.

"Noodle," He murmured to it stepping slowly toward her, "you don't have to do everything Murdoc says. Think about it, you don't want to kill me or Elle. We haven't done anything, I promise."

"'Kill them both'" Murdoc's voice echoed from her. Then in a tinny robotic voice she answered 2D "I have to."

She raised the gun higher to aim and I saw her finger squeeze the trigger. Before I could yell or call out a bang rang out, echoing around the recording studio and temporarily deafening me and 2D. After the ringing had died down I frantically patted myself down, to make sure I hadn't been hit, even though it would have been obvious if I had. Terrified, I turned to 2D to check on him. I gasped when I saw him.

While I had quickly fallen to the ground in an attempt to protect myself and the growing child within me, 2D had remained standing, barely flinching as the bullet sailed past his right ear and buried itself into the set of drums on the other end of the room.

"'Droid." He murmured to it in an almost caressing way. He took another small step toward it.

"Not a step closer." That creepy robotic voice croaked out. She let out another shot which flew over my head, ruffling my hair as it whistled by. "'Kill them both. Kill them both. Kill them both'"

2D reached out a shaking hand and placed it on the barrel of the gun; he gently pushed the end to the floor. For a few moments they stared at each other, lost in a silent battle over living and dying before the gun clattered to the floor.

I stared, shocked, at the pair of them. 2D kicked the gun behind him and smiled toothily at it. As he was looking at her I reached over and snatched the abandoned shotgun from the floor.

"Thanks 'Droid." He said patting the robot on the shoulder like it was a person.

She stared up at him, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. For a moment I wondered how she could smile, she was just a robot but considering all of the crazy shit I had witnessed over the past few years from the opening to Hell in the Kong Studio basement, to Noodle's Island Disaster, to giant Russel I realized a robot with feelings was probably one of the most normal things that had happened in the course of the Gorillaz fame.

Before I could think anymore I shakily stood on my feet and aimed the shotgun as best as I could. Just like I saw that Android do, I squeezed the trigger as hard as I could. I had never shot a gun, nor did I ever think I would need to so my aim wasn't that great. For one heart stopping moment I thought maybe I had missed and hit an instrument, a wall, or even (I could barely think it) _2D_. Then I saw a small, child-like body fall to the ground. My ears were ringing and my shoulder hurt from when the gun rammed back into my shoulder but I made my way over to the twitching mechanical corpse.

2D was standing over it a mixture of relief and horror written plainly across his face. He looked up at me with wide eyes but I couldn't look at him. I had to make sure the Android was gone. I pointed the gun in its already ruined face and pulled the trigger once, twice, three times.

"Stay gone, bitch." I spat at it.

"Elle!" 2D exclaimed, gently pulling my face to look at his. "She's gone; you don't need to shoot her any more. You can give me the gun."

I stared into his bottomless eyes and for a moment I considered keeping the gun. What if Murdoc came in waving a gun around threatening our lives again? What if he had more creepy Noodle drones hiding in closets all over the island? I would need the gun to fight them off, but there was a desperate look in 2D's eyes and a worried frown was turning his lips downward. Finally I sighed and handed him the gun. He tossed it behind him and pulled me into a hug.

Just like that I melted into him, my tear staining his shirt. I pulled him as close as I possibly could before my legs buckled. He inched us down onto the ground comforting me as though I were a child.

For a moment he just held me while I cried into his already destroyed shirt. Then, after taking a few calming breaths, I pulled away from him happy to have his arms around me. He placed my forehead against mine and I saw his lips split into a toothy grin that had me thinking of sixth grade again.

"What are you so happy about?" I teased, still sniffling at my drying tears.

"You." He whispered. He ran a thumb across my stomach. "And our child."

I let out a laugh, wiping at my remaining tears. "That is something to be happy about."

He pulled me into a long kiss. I savored the feeling of his lips on mine, and the feeling of his hair on the pads of my fingers. He placed a hand on my stomach even though I definitely wasn't showing and I felt him smile as he kissed me. As we pulled away a thought struck me.

"Let's run away." I murmured to him.

"What?" he asked pulling far enough away to look me in the eye.

"Murdoc thinks the Android killed us. The Android is gone. No one will know." I said, running my fingers through his hair one more time. "Now is the time to get off this island. We can leave Plastic Beach and start our family right."

2D stared at me for a moment and then he nodded and the smile I had grown to love found its place on his lips again.

"Ok. Let's do it."

* * *

Hola! How's everyone doin?

So instead of studying for the Unit 1 APUSH test I have tomorrow I decided to take the less stressful path and write another chapter. I'm not sure if I like the ending that much but it'll do for now. Because I like all that mushy lovey dovey stuff. At least in stories. In real life its disgusting. Like seriously guys, no one wants to see you sucking face. Highschool PDA sucks.

Anyhoo, have you guys been to the Gorillaz website lately? There is a new video from Murdoc endorsing Internet Explorer 9 (which I think I might possibly have, idk). What do you think, did Gorillaz sell out by advertising Internet Explorer? I couldn't really decide because the video was pretty funny. ALSO, they have a few new features on the Gorillaz website, there are two new places to visit, you can't really do much on them but I think they could potentially be a lot of fun. And you kind of get to see that bug-like mask thingy dude in one of them. Just go to the outside of the building, where the talking birds are, and do that tour thing. When it stops it'll have pulsing white rings around the areas you can visit. But you guys could have figured that out because you are awesome.

So I realized I haven't given you a Sims3 update in awhile. You probably don't care but I feel like telling you. Wellllllllllllll, I kind of definitely don't have a life because I believe I'm in my 8th generation. Yeah, it's pretty sad. But that means that Elle and Stu have passed on to the rock festival in the sky and so has Noodle and her hubby. So...yeah. Awesome.

Stay awesome guys. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out in November. I'm counting down the days. I will be going to the funeral of my childhood. Harry Potter=my childhood. Harry Potter over=death of my childhood. I guess I'm going to have to grow up. LOL JK JK. That'll never happen.

Okie doke. Stay classy Fanfiction-ers.


	15. Chapter 15

2D took my hand and pulled me toward the door. He placed a slender finger on his lips and quietly shushed me even though I was making no sound. He pushed the door open a crack and peered into the study. My heart was sprinting in my chest and my thoughts were racing a mile a minute. If Murdoc was in the study how were we going to get out? We were in almost the top most part of the building, it wasn't like we could open a window and climb out. What if Murdoc decided to check and make sure that damn Android was ok or that she had finally finished us off?

I looked back at the gun, still abandoned across the room. I considered going back to get it but two things held me back. The first was quite literally 2D, his fingers tightened around mine as if he knew of my intentions, the second was pretty obvious. While I had been able to completely mutilate the robot I doubted I could stick a gun in Murdoc's face and pull the trigger once, not even considering the three extra times I did it to that Droid. My stomach rolled at the thought of his blood spattered against the wall behind him. I forced myself to think of something else.

2D's hand pulled away slightly from mine. I looked up at him, tearing myself away from my thoughts. He had his finger pressed against his lips again and then beckoned me forward with his head. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, we made our way into the study. I looked around cautiously even though I knew that 2D had checked extensively for the Satanist before taking the risk and jumping into the fire.

The routine was set, 2D would force himself in front of me with a look in his eyes that said 'I'm not going to let you both get hurt' and I would follow anxiously behind him like a lost lamb. We would pause at the slightest creak or rumble before finally unfreezing from our terror and taking a few more cautious steps toward the door. From there he would peer out into the next room for what felt like years before slowly edging himself into the room and beckoning me in once he was positive the coast was clear.

For a moment I let myself believe we were going to get away, even though everything was counting against us I let myself believe that 2D and I were going to get away and start a family somewhere far from Murdoc and his damn island. I let myself believe that everything was ok when deep down I knew it would have to get a lot worse before it got better.

* * *

From the time Murdoc left the recording studio he knew they would survive. He was beginning to see the big picture now. He assumed it was because he was going a little crazy and crazy people can always see the big picture, that's what makes them crazy.

No, Murdoc knew they would survive because in a story like 2D and Elle's they were the protagonists. They would fight every battle completely unprepared, expecting to die and they would still manage to win. Somehow, when he was leaving his Droid to take care of them, he knew he would never see that little Noodle clone ever again.

For one small moment he was ok with it. Let them escape. Let that disgusting creature in Elle's belly grow into a child and then into an adult. Let Elle and 2D get married and grow old together. Let them be happy because they were protagonists and Murdoc was nothing more than the psychotic antagonist who had no chance at a joyful life.

And then, after that small moment, something in Murdoc clicked into place. He had tried to get rid of 2D to help Elle see that he, Murdoc, was the right one for her. He had tried to get rid of both of them because they were both a waste of his time but he hadn't just tried to get rid of _her._ He ran the situation through his head. It would be a win/win for him. Not only would he finally be rid of the object of his unreturned affections, he would also be able to see 2D in pain hardly bearable to live through.

He looked up at the ceiling of the Droid's cupboard. He had retreated there because sometimes claustrophobia kept his head from spinning off his shoulders. Murdoc strained his ears and over the muffled banging and clanging coming from the dim-witted builder and his frying pan or whatever in the hell he said he needed to fix. For a split second he swore he could hear the muffled footsteps of two people trying to sneak away unnoticed but then the builder swore loudly as he slammed the bent frying pan accidentally onto his thumb.

Murdoc rolled his eyes and leapt to his feet. If there was any time to do finally get rid of his desires it was now. He grabbed an extra gun (honestly, where did his Android get all of them?) off the floor and jogged back into the elevator without so much as a 'hello' or 'goodbye' to the builder, who had looked up to see what crazy thing his employer was doing now.

* * *

2D knew that what he needed to be focusing on was getting Elle and himself out of the building he had been imprisoned in for months and into the open waters before Murdoc could notice that not only had Elle single handedly destroyed his precious android but that they had managed to get away without so much as a scratch. But despite how much he _knew_ he needed to be focused on their survival his mind couldn't help but wander back to other thoughts.

Like fatherhood.

_I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to be a dad._ It was like a heartbeat, a rhythm, a way of life. In just a few hours, in just a handful of words, that little baby growing inside Elle, _his _Elle, had wrapped 2D around its little finger.

_Will it have blue hair like mine? Or will it be blonde like Elle's? What if it has brown hair like I did before I fell out of that tree? What if it doesn't like music?_ 2D scoffed at his last thought and he heard Elle gasp.

"What? Did you see him?" She hissed, placing a hand on her chest.

2D turned back to look at her. He placed a kiss on her lips and smiled at her.

"No, my mind was on other things, sorry. It won't happen again." He whispered to her, rubbing a thumb across her cheek.

She stared at him for a moment and then let out a sigh and shook herself out. "Let's just get out of here."

He chuckled and nodded before pressing the button to the entrance on the elevator. He had no idea how they had gotten there but somehow they had. They just had to get past Tattoo and then they would be home-free. He turned back to Elle and placed a finger on his lips. She rolled her eyes at him, nodded, and (for good measure) mouthed 'I know' at him.

They linked arms and strutted past Tattoo as if they were actually allowed to be leaving the building. He just smiled at them and gave them the usual retort.

"The lift boss, the lift!" He exclaimed pointing to the elevator they had just gotten off of.

"Yes, thank you Tattoo," Elle called back over her shoulder, "I think 2D and I will just take a quick walk around the beach."

"The lift boss, the lift!" Tattoo yelled back at them as the door closed.

2D let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. After one heart-stopping moment where he couldn't find their get-away vehicle he finally located it, drifting in between the submarine and the pirate ship.

"Come on Elle." He whispered, even though he knew they could probably shout and still be able to hop into the boat and get away without Murdoc catching them.

2D stepped forward to make his way down to the boat but something pulled him back. Elle wasn't moving which was odd; she had been following him since they had snuck out of the recording studio. Why was she so against escaping now?

For a moment 2D thought his heart really had stopped. Spinning wildly around to face his frozen girlfriend he let out a silent yelp. Murdoc had somehow snuck out behind them and, while 2D was contemplating his surroundings, he had placed a cold, shiny gun against Elle's temple and his left hand against her mouth.

"You know I realized something, Face-ache," Murdoc murmured, a maniacal gleam in his eye, "Do you know what I realized?"

"Wh-what's that, Murdoc?" 2D asked staring into Elle's tear-filled, frightened eyes.

"To get rid of _both_ my problems all I have to do is kill _her._" Murdoc pushed the barrel of the gun harder against Elle's temple. She gave a muffled scream of terror.

"B-both your problems? What do you m-mean?" 2D murmured, forcing himself to look away from Elle and into Murdoc's eyes.

"Don't pretend like you don't know!" Murdoc said laughing, he pointed a finger at 2D, "I've hated you from the very beginning. You're a great singer, I'll give you that, but you are nothing but a stupid, sad excuse for man! I don't know what you see in him, luv, when you can have me."

He had turned his attentions to Elle, who was trying hard not to cry. She looked up at him and then back at 2D. A look came over her face and he realized she had a plan.

"I'll stay with you." She said quickly to her hostage taker. "Just let 2D go and I'll stay. You can have me. You win. I'll stay with you."

2D nearly tumbled over the railing in surprise. "WHAT? No, Elle, you can't do this I won't let you!"

Murdoc was as surprised as 2D, he stared at Elle as if waiting for her to shout 'April Fools'. When it didn't come he spoke up. "Really?"

A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she nodded. "Yes. Just let 2D go."

Murdoc looked up at 2D as if just remembering he was there. 2D hardly noticed. Elle was determinately not looking at him and he felt as if his heart was breaking in his chest. Then a deep rumbling laughter broke the silence.

"I have a better idea, luv," Murdoc said, "How 'bout, I shoot your boyfriend and keep you here as my prisoner forever?"

He raised the gun to 2D's forehead.

"Now, I'm going to pull the trigger in three seconds. Do you want to see the light leave his empty eyes or not?" He asked Elle.

She mouthed wordlessly, staring at 2D. Murdoc chuckled.

"Time's up." He murmured before pulling the trigger.

* * *

Man oh man do I love cliffhangers.

Hey guys, how is everyone? That's good. I chose tonight to write another chapter for you lovely people instead of study my Spanish three stuff or my APUSH stuff so congrats, you guys get priority. I'm probably going to fail at life in the future but hey, who needs a career and a house and running water?

I was going to write a chapter on Monday, I stayed home sick then, but I ended up taking this gigantic five hour nap and then I had homework so I couldn't sqeeze it into my schedule.

Tomorrow is homecoming for my school. Go Firebirds! I hope we win. Because it would be embarassing if we lost at our own Homecoming.

Stay classy my friends.


	16. Chapter 16

The shot was deafening. I knew I was screaming but I couldn't hear anything. All I could see was 2D falling and all I could feel was Murdoc's hand, tightening on my arm and then, oddly, releasing me. 2D's body fell gracefully, in a beautiful arc head to toes. Everything blurred as more tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. I was frozen, free from Murdoc's grasp but unable to make the move to make sure 2D was still alive.

For a moment I just stood, staring at the motionless body, sniffling as my tears dried up as quickly as they had come.

"Stu?" I quietly asked him. He didn't move and I let out a moan of sorrow. He was dead. He had to be. No one could take a shot like that and still be alive. "Please wake up, Stu. Please."

A long moment passed and I began to realize that he wasn't going to get up. Then, like a miracle from Up Above, he began to stir and his big beautiful eyes opened. Just like that I was thawed. Quick as a flash I was by his side, examining his body for any bullet wounds and coming up empty.

"What happened?" He asked, making his own routine check for wounds. "Why am I not dead?"

I gave a wet laugh and pulled him into a kiss. "I don't care. Just as long as you're still here."

I tried to pull away to help him stand but he had other plans. Pulling my face up to his he kissed me again, long and hard. I didn't complain, for one heart stopping moment I thought I had lost him forever. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime he pulled away from me and smiled up at me.

"We're ok." He said, wiping a thumb across my cheek. "We're ok."

I smiled at him and quickly kissed him again. Before we could get caught up in another moment 2D pulled away.

"Wait. We're ok." He stated.

I looked at him confused. "Yeah, I thought we established that."

"No. We're ok." He stated again. "Why isn't Murdoc trying to make sure we're dead?"

I hesitated. That was a good question. Why wasn't Murdoc finishing the deed? Why wasn't he still terrorizing us? I turned back to look at the bassist and nearly fell over.

Russel was grinning at us from over the building. His fist was clenched and was hovering above the crumpled heap that was Murdoc. Noodle was waving from above his head.

"Hey guys!" She was yelling at us. "Long time no see, huh?"

I could feel more tears well up in my eyes and leak from the corners. They were really there. We were saved. As the happiness bubbled up I found myself laughing uncontrollably. It wasn't soon after that 2D joined with me. I couldn't blame him. We had both been positive we were going to die and now there was no stopping us.

* * *

It had taken us a few minutes to get set up. Since 2D and I weren't rushing to get to the boat before Murdoc spotted or caught us we took our time gathering up our few belongings and stealing a few weeks worth of food from the kitchen. Russel had said they had no idea where the nearest land mass was but we figured if we kept going straight we'd run into something sooner or later. We both agreed to cross that bridge if we came to it.

After much consideration (mostly involving Russel and 2D being strongly against it), we decided we would take Murdoc with us to the mainland. He had been out in the middle of nowhere for far too long and if a change of scenery didn't help him then there were always doctors we could take him to. 2D said flat out that there was no way Murdoc was going to be in the same part of the boat as me which I understood (and in all seriousness there was no way I was going to hang out with Murdoc anyways). After we had gotten that figured out and packed everything else up we decided to set sail.

"He's all locked up." 2D said as the island grew distant in the horizon.

We had found a small room in the bottom of the boat perfect for keeping Murdoc prisoner. 2D had managed to find some handcuffs that weren't fuzzy (seriously, we went through about 10 pairs before we found a pair of regular handcuffs) and chained Murdoc to the wall before the Satanist could regain consciousness.

"That's good." I murmured, staring out at the still shrinking island.

2D wrapped his arms around me and placed a dry kiss on my shoulder. "Something the matter?" He asked, rubbing a thumb across my abdomen.

I tore my gaze away from Plastic Beach to look into 2D's enquiring black eyes. "Is it weird that I think I'm actually going to miss that island?"

"No," He said, grinning at me, "I think it's very normal. After all, it wasn't the island's fault Murdoc was such a swine."

I laughed and turned in 2D's arms. For a moment we just kissed, savoring the feeling of being together and finally away from danger. I heard Noodle giggle and Russel scoffed.

"So I see you fixed things." He stated plainly.

I smiled up at him and nodded. He grinned.

"That's good." He murmured.

Noodle snuggled down into Russel's head. She looked at me and I looked at her.

"You sure you don't want to stay in the boat tonight?" I asked worried she might fall off in the middle of the night. I couldn't lose Noodle again. I'd already lost her twice.

She shook her head, "No, I'm accustomed to sleeping on Russel's head. Plus, I'm the only thing that keeps his nightmares away."

* * *

We sailed for hours, the island had finally sunk into the horizon and all that we were left with was the sun in the blue sky that melted into the ocean. It was beautiful for awhile but after staring at it for hours and hours there wasn't much to comment on.

Murdoc had woken up and was screaming bloody murder. 2D tried to get him to quiet down; he told him he was going to lose his voice and what good was that going to do him? Murdoc didn't listen, he just kept screaming until he finally went hoarse and all we could hear was him pulling relentlessly at his chains.

2D had retired to the bedroom and, after changing the sheets (it was Murdoc's boat after all), fell into it sighing in relief. It had been a rough couple of days after all. For a few minutes we just laid there, talking about anything and everything. Then, once we had run out of things to say, 2D wiggled down the bed until he could have a conversation with my stomach.

"Hey there," He whispered, running a loving hand over my belly. "You're not very big yet but don't worry. You've got a few months in your mum before you meet your daddy."

I ran a lazy hand through his hair and he placed a kiss on my bellybutton.

"I'm going to be the best daddy you ever have. I promise." He whispered. "I love you already."

I giggled and he looked up at me, the happiest smile I had ever seen playing on his lips. I grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him up to me. I kissed him with everything I had; trying to say everything I wanted to say without actually saying it. Finally, 2D decided he was going to take matters into his own hands and we made love in Murdoc's boat, drifting in the sea, in the middle of nowhere.

And it was beautiful.

* * *

So we lost. Brutally. I didn't even see the end of the game. I just know we lost.

But you don't care about that. You care about Elle and 2D. And I have a proposition for you. I see fanfiction authors do/get these all the times and I decided to just do this for fun. You guys all like writing (obviously). Ok, you write how you think Love You So Much These Days should end and send it to my inbox and whoever's is the best (which I already assure you, its going to be super duper hard because you are all excellent.) I will put in my story. That's right you can be a part of Love You So Much These Days.

Fun, yes?

I should probably make sure I know how to use my inbox first...hmm. Well, lets try the inbox and if it doesn't work then I will give you my yahoo email. Sound good?

Awesome, stay classy guys.


	17. Chapter 17

He could hear them up there, moving around on _his _boat. He could hear 2D's high pitched laughter and the calm soothing tones of Elle, cooing to her unborn child. Sometimes he could hear them, in his bed, going at it like a couple of rabbits. It disgusted him and for hours he would scream silently up at them, his voice rasping against his throat.

Occasionally that dunce, 2D would come down to give him a glass of water and some food but Murdoc never ate in front of him. He wouldn't give that treacherous singer the satisfaction. He could see the disappointment in the singer's eyes as he eventually came back to retrieve the dish, still untouched. He could see the worry lines etching themselves into 2D's forehead.

The Satanist was determined to waste away.

It was early morning a few weeks after they had left when he finally saw someone other than the idiot.

"Muds?" He heard a voice call so softly that for a moment he thought he imagined it.

He knew who it was before she appeared in front of him. Elle Mede, smiling uncertainly at him, only visiting him to get him to try and eat.

"What do you want?" he whispered.

She looked down at the plate of scrambled eggs. He looked away, scowling. She couldn't even look at him. He could smell the eggs and his stomach gave a treacherous rumble. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and place the plate of eggs in front of him. As she eased herself onto the floor beside him he could see a tiny bit of rounded stomach, poking out from beneath her t-shirt. He looked away repulsed, he didn't realize she would be showing so soon.

"Come on, I brought you some food." She said scooping some eggs onto a fork she had been carrying. She held it up to his mouth, hovering, inches from his lips.

He glared at her, but, with the eggs so close to his face, he could smell the aroma coming off of them and he lost all resistance. Reluctantly he opened his mouth and, smiling, she fed him.

It was a little degrading being fed by the woman who would never love him but it was the closest she had been to him since that moment in the recording studio. She smelled like the sea.

"Why won't you eat?" She murmured to him feeding him a little bit more.

He thought about it as he chewed. Why did he think that things would be better if he didn't eat? With her so close to him he seemed to forget why dying was better than being chained up in the bottom of his own.

"You've chained me up in my boat." He said as though that was an answer.

She nodded and shoveled more eggs into his mouth. "Yeah, but that's hardly a reason to starve yourself."

He stared up at her, chewing absently at the eggs still in his mouth. They had suddenly lost taste.

"Why do you care?" He whispered to her. "You're happy with 2D and that thing in your belly."

She looked down at her stomach and placed a soothing hand upon it.

"I don't know why I care. I just know that I do." She said to him, spooning more eggs into his mouth.

He spat them out, disgusted by her care. "You only care because that thing," he pointed at her stomach, "is making you."

She looked back down at her stomach and shrugged. "Who cares? At least someone is still here to care about you."

She didn't mean to make it sound so cruel but he still felt a twist at his heart. He turned away from her.

"Leave me alone to rot." He hissed.

She reached out a hand as if to comfort him but a voice called her back.

"Elle? Where'd you go?"

She turned and gave him one last exasperated look, opening her mouth as if to say something but, hearing her lover's call once more, turned and left him in the dark. The plate of eggs, lying in front of him, was the only thing that proved she had been there. Angrily he kicked out a leg, shattering the plate of eggs and showering himself with them. She had been there and he had pushed her away.

* * *

His next visitor came as a surprise to him. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a few hours. One moment he had been alone in his torment and the next a woman in a cat mask was staring down at him.

"Who are you?" He whispered to her, pulling himself upward.

She leaned over to look at him and slowly pulled the mask off her face.

"Hello Murdoc-san." She whispered to him.

He reeled backwards, she was a ghost, she had to be. Yes, he had saved her from Hell but he had lost track of her. She had to have been dead for a long time.

"What are you doing here?" He rasped his back against the wall.

She chuckled and tossed the mask at his side.

"How are you Murdoc-san?" she asked, not even bothering to sit next to him. I guess she wasn't going to stay for long.

He scoffed, "How am I? Well, let's see Noodle. I'm chained up in my own boat listening to those two going at it like a couple of bunnies. All in all Noods, I'd say I'm doing pretty bad."

Noodle furrowed her brow at him. "You're alive, aren't you?"

The question threw him off so much he took a moment spluttering for an answer.

"Well, yeah—but—!"

"You're not stuck on your island all by yourself, are you?"

"Well, maybe I liked-!"

"Don't kid yourself." Noodle sneered, rolling her eyes at him.

He stared at her for a moment, unable to answer. She just glared back at him, her arms crossed in an agitated gesture. Suddenly he felt like a child being reprimanded by his mother that is if he could remember his mother.

"What do you want?" He asked, eyes on the floor.

"I heard you made a robot of me." She murmured. "I'm here to figure out why."

He looked up at her sharply. "What?"

"That Android thing that Elle destroyed, it was a copy of me, yes?"

He nodded dumbly.

"Why?"

He had never really asked himself why he had made that copy of Noodle. For years he had repeated to himself that it was all because he needed a good guitar player and bodyguard but now that the real person was asking him he truly understood why.

"Because I didn't want to have to accept that you were gone." He whispered and he automatically felt lighter.

She smiled and placed one tiny hand on his shoulder. "There, isn't that better?"

And before he could answer she had turned and left, leaving the strangely beautiful cat mask behind.

* * *

Here you go Fantasy-In-Love, some more Murdoc for you. I have to say I enjoyed writing this.

VISIT THE GORILLAZ SITE. THE STORY BOARDS FOR RHINESTONE EYES.

Yeah, that's basically why I wrote this chapter. Just so I could tell you that.

The quarter ends on Thursday, I don't have school on Friday. Perhaps I'll write another chapter. :)


	18. Chapter 18

The day dawned quietly, sneaking up on everyone who was distracted slightly any way. Its rays peeked over the horizon and sought out the eyes that were still closed to the world and the new day. Those golden rays eventually found their way into 2D's eyes. Sleepily he opened them and panicked. Where was he? Why was this place not familiar? After a few moments everything came rushing back to him and he remembered, he was in the middle of nowhere. No, not just nowhere; Freaking Nowhere.

For a moment he just lay in bed wishing he could go back to sleep. He thought he could hear the muffled sound of rattling chains and 2D wondered if maybe he wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep. He considered getting up to see if the bassist was ok but after seriously debating with himself he decided that being in a warm bed with the woman he loved was much better than being harassed by the bassist he had hated for a majority of their acquaintance.

He turned his attention to Elle, still sleeping like a log. Rolling over to his side, he propped his head up on his hand to get a better look at her. Her blonde hair was spread out like a sheet of pale yellow across her pillow, shiny and soft. His eyes followed the curve of her neck to her shoulder and resisted the urge to place a kiss on the fluttering pulse at her neck. Why should he steal her away from her dreams when he could no longer continue dreaming his? Continuing on, he noted with happy excitement of how round her belly was becoming. Now ignoring his conscience he softly placed a hand on her stomach loving the feel of her skin on his hand.

There was a fluttering at his palm and he quickly pulled his hand away. Was that just his imagination? He turned his hand over to stare at the musically worn skin as if it would give him the answers he sought. Would babies be moving around this early in pregnancy? Slowly he calculated the days since Elle realized she was carrying their child and came up with a number a little less than a month but she must have been pregnant for a little while before that, right? He wished there was a book he could consult but it wasn't exactly as if Murdoc had kept a library of pregnancy books, the closest thing he had had to anything involving women were porno magazines and 2D had always been afraid to touch those.

Elle shifted a little in her sleep, turning toward 2D. In sleep, her hand found his and, one by one, their fingers laced together. Her brow furrowed and her lips parted. Enraptured, 2D watched as she mumbled quietly to herself. He only caught a few words, one of them being his own name. Her fingers tightened around his and suddenly her eyes were opening.

"Hello beautiful." He murmured to her.

She smiled sleepily at him and let go of his hand to rub hers across her stomach.

"Morning." She yawned back at him.

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "How'd you sleep?"

"Ok," she murmured "I had a lot of dreams. Most of them about the island."

2D leaned over and placed a kiss on her neck, she was awake now so there was no risk.

"How about you?" she asked, returning his kiss with one of her own on his lips.

"Good. The sun woke me up." He hesitated, wondering if he should tell her about the fluttering feeling beneath his palm. "Elle?"

"Hmm?" She murmured back to him, too wrapped up in her stomach to look up at him.

"How far along in your pregnancy are you?" He asked. For a moment he panicked, was that a rude question to ask? Was that like asking how old or how much a woman weighed? But Elle looked up at 2D and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm not exactly sure but I'd say maybe about four months." She shrugged again and went back to caressing her belly. "Why?"

"I thought I felt it—him—her—move." 2D stuttered.

She looked up at him and slowly sat up, "Really?"

He shrugged, "It might have just been me, I wasn't sure. I thought maybe it was my imagination or maybe my hand just twitched."

Elle shushed him and placed a hand on her belly. For a moment they both went completely silent and 2D wondered why being quiet had anything to do with the situation. He opened his mouth to say something but Elle gasped and pulled her hand away from her stomach. She stared down at her belly and then looked up at 2D.

"I felt the baby move. I felt the baby's hand up against mine." She whispered and without a moment's hesitation she placed both her hands back on her stomach.

"Hello in there." She cooed softly to the creature growing inside of her. "Good morning."

2D smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her. His other hand joined hers on her stomach.

"Mummy and Daddy can't wait to meet you." He whispered.

Elle leaned her head into his shoulder and they spent another long moment in silence. Finally Elle spoke up.

"If our baby is a girl, what do you want to name her?" she asked.

"I haven't really thought about it." 2D admitted, "What do you think?"

"Well, your mom's name is Rachel what about that?"

2D scrunched up his face in disgust, "No, I've had enough of my mum for a lifetime; I don't need my future possible daughter to be named after her. What about your mom?"

"What Elizabeth? I don't think so." She snorted.

2D sifted through his thoughts, looking for a name.

"I've always liked Olivia." He said without even realizing he said it.

"Olivia." Elle whispered, tasting the name on her tongue. Then she nodded appreciatively. "I like it too. Olivia; it's a good name."

2D smiled. "Olivia Noodle Pot."

He felt her lips split into a wide grin. "Olivia Noodle Pot," she repeated, "I love it."

2D placed a kiss on her hairline. "And if it's a boy?"

He peered down at her face; she was chewing her lip in concentration. Her eyes were screwed up as though the answer to his question was written in tiny lettering on the wall across the room.

"We could name him after your dad, John." He whispered.

"Yeah," she said uncertainly, "Or we could name him Zeke. I like the name Zeke."

Now it was his turn to taste test his possible son's name. "Zeke. Like short for Ezekiel?"

Elle shook her head so violently 2D's whole body shook. "Ew, no. Just Zeke."

"Zeke." 2D tested it again.

"Yeah, Zeke Russel Pot." Elle whispered.

There was another pause as both enjoyed the company of each other and silently congratulated themselves for their creativity involving baby names. 2D compared, with astonishment, how difficult it was to name one small person compared to how easy it was to write a song and be done with it.

2D smiled. "You know what?"

Elle looked up at him, "What?"

"I honestly don't care what our baby's name is. As long as we always stay a family we can name the baby Sunshine Rainbows."

Elle laughed, a sound that 2D felt he hadn't heard in years. Laughter was healthy, he didn't know why they didn't do it more often. Elle quickly sobered up and placed a slow and meaningful kiss on 2D's lips that left him begging for more. She placed her forehead on his and a slow smile spread across her face.

"Always."

* * *

I appologize if this is an utter load of crap. I promise,whenever I get the time, the next chapter will be soooooo much better.

Anyhoo, I'm hoping its not too cheesy that the baby's middle name is either Noodle or Russel. I figured since they saved 'D and Elle from Mudsy and his Island of Doom they should get some kind of lifetime recognition or something.

So tomorrow I leave for San Fransico. Which is good, I need a serious vacation right now. Junior. Year. Sucks. Monkey. Balls. Do not ever go to high school and if you already are in high school (which I'm assuming most, if not all, are already in high school) then you feel my pain and you probably know how much I want to shoot myself.

Ok, notes on the whole contest thing that I threw out there a couple of chapters ago: I don't think I've gotten any submissions yet but that's ok, Love You So Much These Days is not over yet. I've still got a few chapters in me. I've got to make sure that everybody lives happily ever after and all that. And really, if none of you submit that's fine, I don't really know what I was thinking but I thought it would be really cool to do something like that. But the offer still stands, if you send 'em I'll read 'em.

lalalalalalalala I feel like I had something else to say to you guys but I forgot. Oh well. Just stay classy while I'm gone.

OH RIGHT. P.S. Here's your chance to vote, BABY: BOY OR GIRL.


	19. Chapter 19

Murdoc had officially decided he was one of the undead; or maybe one of those gay sparkly vampires, because he hadn't slept since 2D and Elle had locked him away at the bottom of his boat. Sure he drifted in and out of consciousness occasionally but he always woke up feeling more exhausted than he did before.

Noodle came in to visit him every now and then. She would sit just out of his reach and ask him how he was doing. When he was feeling particularly friendly (which didn't happen often) he would tell her things: what he was feeling, what he was thinking, mostly everything. However, he mostly told her to sod off and ignored her until she got up and left.

She did make him feel better though, and she never gave up. There were times he was certain that he had driven her away for good but, in a few days, she was always back and he was always happy to see her. At the moment what they had wasn't quite a friendship but it wasn't a relationship. He had saved her from Hell after all; you can't save someone from Hell and not have some kind of connection. But he was afraid of being attracted to her. Seriously, she was nineteen (or was it twenty?) and he was almost literally twice her age.

Murdoc decided _not_ thinking about their age difference and focusing more on the fact that he could forget why he was chained up in the bottom of his boat or why the woman he thought he loved was upstairs sleeping in _his_ bed with that disgusting lead singer was a better idea. He just had to admit it; Noodle made his life much more…sane.

* * *

_Where the hell are we?_

This thought, along with other strongly worded thoughts raced through Russel's brain every day the sun rose above the horizon and on until the sun sank back down below it. He thought about the next day's plans and before repeating the same thing to himself over and over.

_We've got to run into something eventually._

However, as every day passed, nothing but blue sea, blue sky, and the occasional seagull greeted them and, Russel had to admit, he was getting tired of soggy clothing and the feeling of fish darting in and out of his legs. He wanted to find someone to shrink him back to his original size or maybe a size that was a little bit more manageable.

Whenever he felt like he was going a little bit out of control he just focused on the weight of Noodle on the top of his head and took a deep breath. They had made it to Point Nemo, saved Elle and 2D, and now they were on their way back to land. Everything was going to be ok. He was positive. It was always ok. Things always worked out.

_But where the hell is the mainland?_

* * *

There were few times where I was completely alone. It wasn't a very big ship and if I wasn't with 2D I was usually outside conversing with Russel or Noodle. But occasionally I found a quiet corner and curled up as much as I could without crushing the growing child within me and I thought.

Mostly it was about the future of me, 2D, and little Zeke/Olivia. Sometimes, though, it was about everyone else. Usually Murdoc. Noodle was old enough to take care of herself and, even if she wasn't, she had definitely been through enough to make her mentally old enough. Russel had always been able to look after himself and now more than ever, since he was about 50 feet tall, he didn't need an expecting mother worrying about him. No, I thought about Murdoc. I worried about his recovery or if he would even need one.

I had hoped that, once we got him off the secluded island, he would snap out of his mania and become the old version of Murdoc; the disgusting leech of a bass player that I usually loathed to my very core, but now I really missed that Murdoc. I had hoped he would transform back into _that _Murdoc. But instead he yelled and screamed until he went hoarse and every time his voice came back he just repeated the cycle. 2D had told me he wasn't eating and I had a feeling that he wasn't sleeping either. Occasionally I would sneak down to see him, feed him some eggs, a chicken leg, some bread, whatever I could find, until 2D would realize I was missing and go into a frenzy of searching. Recently, though, Murdoc wouldn't take anything I offered him. He looked everywhere except at me, and whenever our eyes accidentally locked or if he even looked in the direction of my growing stomach he snarled some kind of swear word only Murdoc would know and tell me to "get the Hell out." And I would because there was nothing left for me to do.

I was seriously worried about him. If we didn't get to land soon and get him some help Murdoc might die and though he had been one of the biggest pigs I'd ever met and the world would probably be better without him I just couldn't imagine a future with 2D without a surly Murdoc in the picture.

Though no one would notice if they glanced, Noodle was worried. She had noticed how the supplies

* * *

were running low. Not dangerously low, not yet, but they were close. She noticed how big Elle was getting and she knew how sick Murdoc was getting, whether it was in the head or somewhere else, and yet they still hadn't seen any sign of land. It was like it had all been erased away while they were off in the middle of nowhere.

Every now and then she'd have Elle check her cell phone, to see if there was any cell phone service but Elle's phone hadn't had bars for months and they definitely weren't showing up now. Noodle knew they had to come up on something at _some _point.

But so far nothing. Not even a floating piece of wood or plastic or anything to show that there was civilization nearby.

_Good Lord, how far away was that fucking island?_ She thought to herself.

She was about to give up hope when Elle gave her the first beacon of light that she had had in a long time.

"Noodle!" she heard Elle cry. "I've got two bars!"

Nimbly jumping from Russel's head down to his shoulder and onto the boat Noodle met Elle on the boat and snatched the phone from Elle's hand. Sure enough there were the two bars winking up at her. Quickly she punched in the first number she thought of; 911. They probably couldn't help very much but perhaps they could alert the coast guard or something.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered.

"Hello, this is Noodle from the band Gorillaz." Noodle spluttered out, "Me and my friends are literally in the middle of nowhere. Can you help us?"

There was a pause and then the voice came back, sounding more serious than ever.

"Of course. Help is on the way."

* * *

Hello my duckies. Como estas? Man, it feels like its been awhile.

So, I had to look up how old Noodle is. Can you believe that she's 20 now? Yeah. I know. I freaked out too. I remember her as that cute little asian girl with the mysterious past and the weird helmet thing. And now she's the big old 2-0. Geez. Next year she can legally drink. Maybe by that year Murdoc can take her out clubbing and drinking. That sounds like something he would do.

Speaking of Noodle and Murdoc, I had a few of you ask if Noodle and Murdoc would be getting together at the end of the story (or in a few chapters or whatever). And honestly, I have no idea. I usually don't support the whole Murdle relationship because, like I said up there, Noodle is 20 and Murdoc is almost literally twice that. And, while she's legal now, it still sounds totally wrong. But, I have no idea where I'm taking this. Perhaps she'll be his guiding light back home and while he rescued her from Hell, she'll rescue him from insanity and then they'll all have fun and go to Candy Mountain Charlie.

Oh wait, wrong animation. Whoops.

Anyhoo, I got midnight tickets to the first half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Starting my HP marathon at the end of this week.

Stay classy muchacha/os. You know I adore all of you. :)


	20. Chapter 20

Happy Holidays!

* * *

The rescue was quick and easy. We were easily found and escorted back to land and safety. There was virtually no trouble from any of the group, except from Murdoc. He thrashed and spat at the men, swearing at them in words I was pretty sure wasn't English. Yet as much as he struggled to break free the men holding him didn't have to try hard to subdue him. They quickly snapped handcuffs to his wrists and pushed him into the awaiting cop car.

"Wait!" I cried, "Where are you taking him?"

The police officer stared down at me like I had lost my mind.

"Ma'am, this man kidnapped not only you but your friend here. He threatened both of your lives not including the life of your unborn child." He stated.

"But he's not in his right mind!" I exclaimed. Murdoc sneered at me from behind the glass.

The uniformed man sighed. "Ma'am even if he isn't 'in his right mind'," he said adding finger quotes around my words, "some time in jail might be able to clear his head and if not, we have a psychiatrist standing by."

I felt 2D grab my wrist and gently pull me away from the scowling bass player and the cop car. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

"Calm down, Elle." He whispered. "Murdoc is in good hands. I've found us a hotel where we can rest for tonight and tomorrow we can go back to Kong. Does that sound good?"

I glanced behind me at the retreating cop car and sighed.

"Yes. I need some sleep."

* * *

Our hotel room was cozy and homelike. If I closed my eyes I could imagine being in a place where none of the craziness had happened to 2D, myself, Murdoc, Noodle, or Russel. The king sized bed in the middle of the room looked so inviting I couldn't help but to sink down into the down comforter with a sigh.

I felt the foot of the bed sink as 2D lowered himself onto it and then I felt my shoes gently being pulled off my feet before his fingers pressed against my arches in the best foot massage I had ever had in my life. For a moment I forgot all the stress of the day, of the years, and just focused on 2D. I could hear him humming quietly to himself as he worked;

_Maybe in time you'll want to be mine_.

I smiled as sleep closed in and around my eyes. I took a deep cleansing breath as 2D's fingers pressed delicately into the heel of my right foot and then, just as quick as a snap, I was out like a light.

* * *

Murdoc had no idea how long he had been in this iron pen. A few days? Maybe a week? He had no clue. He had found that time meant nothing to him anymore. It was just one more stupid thing he had to think about, so he decided to forget about time and go with what his gut told him. He slept during the day, ate whenever food was available to him, and discussed with his fellow cell mates what he planned to do with his life once the goons who had locked him up decided to let him out.

In truth Murdoc had been in jail for about a month since the gang had been found just off the coast of Ireland. Though the doctors had been sure that they could make an improvement in the Satanist's mental help he hadn't made any positive steps at all. He continuously pushed people away, even the cell mates that he seemed to share everything with didn't know the valuable stuff about him and eventually he pushed everyone away until he was completely alone. He never had any visitors save for one: a young woman in a purple cat mask; always that one woman. She would sit with him at the visiting table and they would stare at each other until either he said something or she got up to leave.

"Why do you keep coming back?" He said to her on one of her visits.

Noodle shrugged and played with the edges of the mask resting in between her and Murdoc. "Because Murdoc-san, I care."

Murdoc stood up quickly, unable to handle these words. His heart had hardened to any emotion except for unfeeling, controlled nothingness and this one woman; this one _girl_ had managed to crush that hardness with two little words.

_I care_.

"No one cares about me." He growled. "That's why I'm in this god-forsaken place. That's why they can't _fix _me. BECAUSE NO ONE FUCKING CARES."

The guards at the door were advancing toward Murdoc, ready to lead him back to his cell but Noodle held out one dainty hand and, for some reason, they stopped. Then the small guitar player stood up and walked to the bass player, whose chest was heaving from compressed emotion, and she placed one tiny hand on the place where his heart would be.

"_I_ care, Murdoc-san. _I _care." She whispered.

She grabbed a fistful of his orange jumpsuit and pulled his head down so he was looking into her emerald eyes. He had never seen such a beautiful sight, her eyes. She kissed his forehead and then she released him.

"Please try to get better. We all miss you." She whispered to him before she turned to let the guards have him.

And just like that Murdoc was back in his old ways. He scoffed at her retreating back.

"Yeah right, like they miss me. They were the ones that locked me in here." He muttered to himself. "They miss me about as much as you say you care about me. Which is nothing."

Despite how evil his thoughts were, corrupting his memories and his decisions, one piece of him wanted to see that tiny guitar player one more time before being locked away again. He turned back, positive he had missed his chance and yet there she was.

Always there for him.

* * *

Hello. :) Sorry for the delay. Writers Block is a **bitch**. Seriously.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy. I tried especially hard for the holiday season. So Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, or whatever you celebrate. I hope, if I don't update again for awhile, that the rest of your 2010 is AWESOME.

Oh, p.s., it's official, I'm going to try and right Noodoc. :)

Stay classy for 2010 and 2011.


	21. Chapter 21

Time passed quickly. In a matter of months 2D had managed to find us a little two bedroom apartment and he had taken it upon himself to ready the other bedroom for our little bundle of joy. He had found a part-time job at a nearby bar where he sung occasionally but it wasn't quite cutting it, even with the royalties.

I had become a planet. My stomach had swelled to a humongous size and 2D couldn't get enough of it. Since the first night back from the island we had begun a system, every night before we went to sleep 2D crawled down to my belly and told the baby growing inside me a story. Every night it was different and every night I could feel the baby relax at his voice. I knew the baby had fallen in love with 2D like I had. Well, maybe not like _I _had.

But our family was already shaping together.

* * *

"2D, you said you put the finishing touches on the baby's bedroom days ago!" I called from my spot on the bed.

"I know, Elle, but I just need to finish this _one _thing." I heard him call back.

I sighed and swung my legs off of the bed.

"'D," I whined, "You said you were done and your girlfriend's feet hurt."

I leaned on the doorframe and smiled at 2D, who was standing on one side of the room, admiring a small crib tucked into the corner of the room. He closed one eye and brought his hands up to form a box and started surveying the room like a film director surveyed his shot. His eye landed on me and he dropped his hands and opened his both of his eyes.

"What are you doing up?" He murmured, striding across the room and grabbing onto my arms. "You need to rest!"

I laughed, "'D, I'm up because you're up. You think I don't hear you banging around in here?" I placed a kiss on his cheek, "Besides, I'm fine. I promise."

2D wrapped his arms around me and I felt his lips press against my hair for a moment.

"I know, I know. I just want to make sure that the baby is ok." He whispered.

I snuggled into his bony shoulder and sighed. "I understand. I'll get back in bed."

His lips tugged into a victorious smile. He had won and now I was going back to bed and he was going back to work on our bundle of joy's new room. But I wasn't giving up without a fight.

"I'll go back to bed if you come with me." I murmured.

His arms tightened around me and I could feel him choosing between working tirelessly on an already finished room for his unborn child and coming back to bed with his girlfriend that needed him. He sighed and, using one hand, pushed my chin up so I was looking into his black eyes. He smiled a big toothy grin at me and placed one soft kiss on my lips.

Then something was wrong. My first thought was that something had happened to the baby and my hands shot to my belly to feel for any wrong kinds of movement or if there was any movement at all. I thought back through the day and realized that there had been some weird moments where I had felt pains in my abdomen but they had come and gone pretty quickly so I didn't think much of them.

I didn't form a connection until I felt fluid rolling down my legs. I gasped as a small bolt of pain shot through my body and 2D pulled away. He looked into my eyes worried.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

I couldn't answer; I stared up at him speechless for a moment. Finally I managed to gasp out a few words that I hoped formed a coherent sentence.

"My water broke."

He looked confused for a moment and then it all set in and his jaw dropped.

"Oh, _oh!_ Shit! Shitshitshit!" he sprinted around the room gathering things he thought we may or may not need and then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door.

* * *

It was a few hours of doctors and nurses coming in to check on Elle and give her a dose of meds 2D didn't even realize was legal. He barely got out a question ("Are you sure those drugs are good for the baby?") before they were gone and Elle was moaning and groaning about the pain ripping her body apart.

She thrust out an arm, searching blindly for his hand which he gave to her. Every time another lightning bolt of pain shot through her she tightened her fingers around his hand until he thought she was going to pop them off one by one. He was frightened; he had never seen Elle look so…helpless. He wanted to help but how do you take away someone's pain? Especially the physical kind

Finally, after what seemed like days, no _years_, of waiting the doctor came in and announced to the room that Elle was fully dilated. 2D had no idea what that meant but he took note that the doctor had his head _and_ his hands between Elle's legs and he wasn't sure if he liked that. He wanted to get up and say something to him, confront Dr. Feel-'er-Up about feeling up the love of his life but the grip on 2D's hand was too tight and he didn't want to go too far away from Elle.

At the first "Push!" Elle let out a bloodcurdling scream that seemed to reverberate around 2D's very soul. At the second "Push!" Elle's voice cracked and her voice fell silent but her mouth remained open in an empty scream of agony that left the edges of 2D's vision dark. At the third "Push!" Elle's eyes closed and she tipped her head back grunting with pain and exertion and 2D's hand went numb.

At the fourth "Push!" 2D blacked out.

He woke up lying on one of the hospital beds out in the hall. A nurse had placed a bag of ice on his head and a note with instructions to lie there until he felt 100% better. 2D ignored her note and stood up quickly to try and find his suffering girlfriend. He stood up too quickly, it turned out as the floor swooped toward his face and he almost fell over again. A few nurses nearby rushed to help him but he threw out an arm to stop them.

"Elle Mede" he said. "Where is she?"

The nurses exchanged glances with each other and smiled, "She and the new baby are resting in that room over there Mr. Pot."

He blinked for a moment and then smiled before thanking them and going on his way, slowly now that he knew it was all over and he didn't need to rush. Quietly he opened the door and peeked inside. There was the light of his life, eyes closed, waiting for him to come back to her and there in the corner was the baby that had stolen his heart. He felt a lump rise in his chest.

Elle's eyes opened at the sound of 2D's breathing catching.

"Hey you," she said weakly, "I heard you passed out."

She cracked a small smile and then patted the bed beside her, "c'mere."

He made no waste in joining her. "Is that-?" he asked once he had settled in and made sure he wasn't squishing any part of her.

"Yes, Stu, I'd like you to meet your son, Zeke Russel Pot." She smiled and glanced over at the sleeping baby.

Even though he had just settled in with Elle, 2D found he couldn't stay away from his new son. He carefully dislodged himself from the bed and quickly walked over to where baby Zeke lay. Hesitantly he looked back at Elle.

"Can-Can I hold him?" He whispered, unable to speak any louder.

Elle smiled. "Of course."

He reached in slowly and picked the baby up in his big hands and cradled him to his chest. Sleepily the baby opened his eyes for just a moment and 2D gasped.

"He has my eyes." He smiled up at Elle an uncontrollable urge to laugh rumbling through his chest. "He has my eyes."

The baby looked up at 2D and he swore he could see the edges of Zeke's lips curl up into a smile before sinking back into a deep slumber. 2D sunk into a nearby chair and just stared at the sleeping baby in his arms. He could feel Elle watching the two but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the masterpiece in his arms.

There was a tuft of delicate blue hair on the baby's head that made 2D smile. He couldn't help but reach out a finger and wrap the blue hair around it. He placed a kiss on the baby's forehead and was surprised to find tears running down his face when he came back up.

"I love you Zeke Russel Pot." He murmured. He looked up at Elle. "And I love you Elle Mede."

Elle gave 2D a tired smile and wiped tears from her own eyes. "I love you so much Stuart Pot. You and Zeke are my two favorite boys."

* * *

So is it slightly shallow to say that I was getting a little choked up writing this. I could just imagine 2D being so overwhelmed with being a daddy that he just can't help but cry happy tears and imagining him cry kind of made me want to cry and...yeah.

Anyhoo, sorry for the distance between updates. Schools back in session and I like to pass all my classes so updates are going to be a little thin. Plus I'm working on creating my own characters with their own stories so I'm not totally stealing the characters of other people and then making my own stories. But I will not forget you loyal fans. I will still update. This story is not done being told. I promise.

I mean we haven't even gotten to the point where they tell Russel that their baby is named after him. :)

So Happy New Year everyone! Let's make 2011 just as good, if not better, than 2010.

Stay classy my friends.


	22. Chapter 22

Usually when people are sent to jail they take the time to think back on their past actions. Maybe they think of what they could have done differently to make their get-away plan a success. Perhaps they use time to repent their sorrows at what they had done. Murdoc did neither of those things. He preferred to live in the present; the here and now; the time that really mattered.

Day after day, night after night, he heard his fellow prison mates mourning the loss of their freedom and wishing they could all take it back. He just sat in his cell in the hideous ugly orange jumpsuit and waited for the right time to strike. He had done it once before in Mexico, why couldn't he do the same here?

Murdoc expected every little upset. A change of cell assignment? No big deal. Fork rights revoked? Just a blip on the big screen of things. New roommate who threatened to rip his endocrine out of his body? A laughing matter and also completely impossible. The one thing he didn't expect was _her._

Everyday, like clockwork, the guards got him out of his cell to talk to Noodle who over the course of a few months had become one of his best friends. And that fateful day was no different. "Niccols, you've got a visitor." The guard said at precisely noon.

"Yeah, yeah. I've always got a visitor, don't I?" Murdoc grumbled, stepping to the side to allow the man to open his door and lead him down to the waiting room.

However, when he turned the corner he didn't see the familiar cat mask. No he saw _her_. The one woman he had been positive he loved and at the same time the woman he hated. His beady little eyes darted around searching for the idiot she had taken up with but he was nowhere to be found. Finally his eyes landed on her, she looked uncertain; obviously her trip here hadn't been approved by her Face-ache.

"Elle," he said, his eyebrows arching, "what an unpleasant surprise."

Her eyes dropped down to her toes. "I came to tell you the news."

He looked back at the guard, still standing at his back. "Can you give us a minute?"

The guard narrowed his eyes at Murdoc but didn't move. Murdoc heaved a sigh and turned back to Elle. He shrugged his shoulders at her in a gesture that said "_What can you do?_" and gestured to the table nearby. He saw her eyes widen at his sudden change in manners and then she sat down. He sent one more glance back at the guard and then sank down in the seat across from her.

"So what can I do you for?" he asked her.

She heaved a sigh and looked up at him, making eye contact with him for the first time. He could see a kind of apprehension in her eyes and honestly he couldn't blame her. She was in a prison for Satan's sake. In a prison with the man who had held her captive on an island for months.

"Well, I've had the baby." She said, letting all the words out in a rush. "It was a boy."

Murdoc tried not to let the rage show on his face. Why was she telling _him _this?

"Well congratulations. Is that all?"

Elle didn't answer. Her eyes darted back down to the table top. She was twisting a picture in her fingers and finally she placed it upon the table.

"We named him Zeke." She said, her voice betraying an affection that he had once wished was for him. "He's got his father's hair."

Murdoc plucked the photo from the table and studied it. The baby was reaching up at the person holding him, probably the Face-ache who had ruined everything for him. There was a tuft of blue hair poking out from the blanket he was wrapped in. Murdoc shoved the picture away from him, unable to look at the happiness he would never be able to have.

"Obviously." He sneered. "Anything else?"

Elle picked up the picture and examined it herself. The love so obviously displayed on her face was sickening. Murdoc had to look away to keep his lunch down.

"I was just seeing how you were." Elle's voice was so low he almost missed it but Murdoc's ears were long since tuned to the sound of her.

"Oh, how I am?" He couldn't help the sarcasm that was leaking into his words. She wanted to see how he was? How dare she! She dumped him in this place and left him there to rot and now she was here to _see how he was_? "How I am?"

"Yes." Her voice was so small; it reminded him of a mouse.

A mouse he wanted to stomp with his metal toed boots.

"Elle let me tell you something," His voice was low and dangerous, "of all the people in the world, most of whom hate me more than you do, you would be the _absolute last_ person I would want to come to _see how I was._"

He imitated her voice sending his own up several octaves. As he flounced around in his seat, pretending to be the woman he once loved, he noticed her eyes fill with tears. There was a moment where he was struck with guilt but that quickly evaporated when he noticed her fingers still twisting around the edge of the photograph she had brought with her.

"I think it would be best if you go." He said, dropping his hands to the table top and curling them into fists.

Elle stayed still for a moment, gathering her confidence. He raised his hand to tell her to get lost but she stood up. She stared down at him and whispered to him.

"I'm sorry, Murdoc."

Then she breezed past him and out the door. Murdoc stayed at the table clenching and unclenching his fists, resisting the urge to punch something. If he did then he would lose everything that he had worked so hard for. Finally he stood and made to go back to his cell but the guard stopped him.

"Wait Murdoc." The guard said, placing a hand on his chest. "Go sit back down, you have another visitor."

Murdoc stared at the guard. Another one? Really? He didn't think he could handle another meeting but he knew this visitor. This visitor he looked forward to.

"Noodle."

* * *

I couldn't believe what I had done. Why did I ever think that Murdoc would be happy to see me? Why did I think that he would want to hear about baby Zeke at home with 2D? Why was I so stupid? I pulled my sweater closer to my body, a shiver running through me that wasn't completely because of the chill in the air. It had been such a long time since I had seen Murdoc; I had foolishly thought that he had changed. I had thought maybe in the months that he had been in jail he would have some change of behavior but the thought of those fists clenched on the table made me shudder and pull my sweater tighter around me.

2D hadn't moved much since I left him a few hours earlier with the excuse of needing milk. He was curled up in the armchair, Zeke asleep in his arms. He looked up at the sound of the door closing and sent me a bright smile that warmed my heart and lit my guilt.

"How is he?" I whispered to him, placing a quick kiss to his lips.

"He fell asleep a while ago." 2D whispered back, brushing his fingertips through the fine blue hair on his son's head.

He looked up at me, a smile still gracing his lips.

"Where's the milk?" He asked.

My heart stopped.

"What?"

"The milk? You went out to go get milk."

I paused, I was positive I looked like a deer in the headlights. I scrambled for an excuse and quickly made up something on the spot.

"I-I went to the grocery store nearby but they were out of milk so I went to other grocery stores in search of milk. We must be in a milk shortage or something."

2D blinked at me and for one heart stopping moment I thought he had seen through my lie. Then he smiled at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"K." And then his attention was back in the little bundle wrapped up in blankets in his arms.

I never thought I would actually be thankful that the man wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch but at that moment it was a godsend.

"May I take him?" I asked, reaching down for my son.

2D nodded, placed a kiss on the sleeping baby's forehead and handed the child over to me. As he reached my arms Zeke's eyes opened and his green eyes gazed up into mine.

"Hey there, lovie." I cooed at him, placing the already dozing baby into his crib.

I stayed leaning over his crib watching his chest rise and fall with every deep slumbering breath until the aching guilt in my chest took over. Tearing myself away from the sleeping baby I wandered back to the living room where 2D still sat, his head leaned back, eyes closed. For a second I thought maybe he had fallen asleep but at the sound of the creaking floorboards his eyes opened and looked up at me.

He reached a hand out to me and I had to hold myself back from racing to his arms. With the guilt at seeing the man who had kidnapped 2D and had thrust us both into danger countless times eating me up inside I climbed into 2D's lap and captured his mouth. It took a moment for him to respond and then he wrapped me up in his arms and all thoughts of Murdoc wasting away in his prison cell evaporated.

* * *

HEY GUYS HOW'S IT GOING?

Who is this?

IT'S EMMA. REMEMBER ME?

No.

Ah, well. I guess that's what I get for not updating since January. Welllllllllll, here's the next update. Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope I still have readers. If I don't I guess that's what I deserve. I don't know how long of a gap will be in between this update and the next one but hey, you got an update now! :)

Also I got a job. FIRST JOB BABY.

That is all.

Stay classy.


End file.
